Fable of an Eagle
by GrimAltair24
Summary: I'm Renia, and I am a descendant of Ezio Auditore de Firenze. Why did he become an assassin? I never knew that this wild goose chase for answers would end up with me in 1191 A.D being threatened by a man who mysteriously looks like my friend Desmond. AC
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: (Sorry this was just an edit to the first chapter! Name change and such!) Welcome to my first post on FF! I've been writing lots of fanfiction for 2 years, and I decided to finally post it since my english teacher always says that we writers shouldn't keep our work to ourselves. Review please! I want to know what people think.

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**Fable of An Eagle**

_Year 2012_

Renia. That's my name, and it means rebirth. Renia Nicole Emilios, 15 years old. I was told by my mother that I am a descendant of a well-known Italian nobleman from the 1400s. Unfortunately, we don't have enough proof of my lineage to be given the treasures and property of the Auditore family. My ancestor is Ezio Auditore de Firenze and no, I'm not from Florence, Italy. It appears not much is known about my ancestor. All I know is that he was a nobleman, but then something happened and he became an assassin for an unknown reason. Hmph, what an amazing and knowledgeable ancestry I have. I sigh as I sit on my family's front lawn and fall back to lay in the grass, relaxed. I close my eyes. Memorial Day vacation has never been so great.

"Renia!" I open one eye before looking to the front door. It opens and out steps my mother, clad in a green long-sleeved shirt and faded blue jeans. Her shoulder length, dirty blonde hair bobbed up and down as she walked onto the porch. Blue eyes focused on my green ones. She crosses her arms and sighs. "Renia, I've been looking all over for you." I raise an eyebrow and sit up before turning around to face her.

"What is it?"

"Taylor just called. She wants to talk with you." My eyes light up. Taylor is one of the few friends I have. When she's not around I just hang by myself. I stand up and bend over brush off the grass on my jeans. After that I stand up straight and nod to my mom.

"Alright, I got it. Thanks, Mom." She nods and I follow her into the house, making sure to close the door behind me. I walk forward and begin to ascend the stairway that leads to the second floor, where my room and my dad's old study reside. My dad left Mom and I when I was 4 years old. The only thing I remember about him is seeing him locked up in his study, reading and writing all the time.

I reach the top and begin to walk down the hallway to the left. The only door in that hallway is the one on the very end, which is my room. Dad's study room is the last door in the hallway to left, and his is the only door in that hallway as well. The bathroom is in front of the staircase. I stop at my door and open it, before stepping in and closing it behind me. I stand in silence for a couple minutes, then I sigh and lean back against the door.

My room is a bit of a mess. There are a few shirts and pants left on the floor, even papers and books because I like to do my work on the wooden floor of my room. My closet is in the right wall of my room, and a small mirror is hanging right next to it. My twin-sized bed is against the left wall and is in the very corner, and there's a nightstand right beside it with a lamp and alarm clock. There's a window in the far wall, and below it is my desk, piled with papers, drawings, pencils, and books. I'm kind of a mix between an artist and a writer. There's a light on the ceiling, and the switch is next to the door.

I look down at the phone in my hand, and begin to dial Rebecca's cellphone number. As it begins to ring, I decide to head over to my bed. I lay down on my bed back-first, and wait for Taylor to answer. After a few rings, I hear a click.

"Hello?" a cheery voice greets. I smile and respond,

"Hey, Taylor." I can sense the smile on her face.

"Oh hi, Renia! I'm so glad you called back!" I nod with a chuckle before blinking my eyes questioningly.

"Yeah, so what's up?" She laughs.

"Well~Guess who I saw at the mall today?" I deadpan in silence, and Taylor continues. "I saw David!" she practically squealed. "We talked and you know what he said?" I roll my eyes with a smirk.

"Do tell."

"He asked me if you like flowers!" An even louder squeal greets my ears. I arch an eyebrow.

"And how is this significant?" She sighs.

"How can you be so dull? He _obviously_ likes you, Ren! In the future, I see a love letter and flowers with your name on it!" I close my eyes with a long sigh and turn to lay on my stomach.

"Well, I'm not interested..." I drawl in a bored tone as my fingers play with a feather sticking out of my pillow.

"What?! Renia! You so need a boyfriend! Or at least a crush!" My ears are in pain.

"I don't need one!" I protest embarrassingly, a dust of pink on my cheeks. I nuzzle my face into my pillow so only my nose and up are visible. "I mean, I don't want one..." my muffled voice mumbles.

"Man, how can you not want a boyfriend?" Taylor asks, whining. I sigh and lift my head.

"Because...there's no way I can get one..."

"Um, hel-LO? I just told you that David likes you! Why not try flirting with him, Ren?" I think for a moment, and shake my head.

"No, thanks. I'll just stay single. Education and work are my main priorities right now." Another sigh and I know Taylor's pouting.

"Aw, c'mon! You say that all the time!"

I scratch my head and reply, "Because it's true. If I want to reach my goal, I'll have to focus on school." Silence.

"Yeah, I gotcha. Anyway, what's up?" I pause.

"Um, nothing really...But lately I have been thinking about-"

"Your ancestry?" I turn red in embarrassment, and mutter,

"Y-Yeah..."

My friend whistles and replies, "Why don't you, you know, let go of it? So what if your ancestor Endo-"

"Ezio," I correct her.

"Yeah, Ezio. As I was saying, what's so important about him becoming an assassin? I mean, how long ago was that?"

I let my head fall into my pillow with a sigh, my answer coming out in a muffled voice, "536 years..."

"Exactly!" Silence once more. "...Wait, you actually know how long ago that was?!" I nod my head.

"Yeah, I've been keeping count ever since I learned about my ancestry."

"...You are so obsessed," she mutters.

I lift my head, smile, and reply in a cheery voice, "Yep! Anyway..." My voice grows serious and my eyes narrow as I question, "Isn't it weird that he just turned assassin all of a sudden? He was a noble, totally set for life, Taylor, and he just went and rejected it all." I am sitting up straight at this point. "That's why I'm so obsessed about it! I want to know why my ancestor, my great-great-great-and-so-on grandfather, joined the assassins."

"Okay, girl, calm down." I take a deep breath. "...So you're serious after all." I nod.

"Yeah...I am. Which is why I'm going to the public library tomorrow."

"...Then I'm coming with you." My eyes widen and I gasp softly.

"What? Taylor, you don't have to-"

"Oh yes I do! If you're serious about this, then I am too." I sit there in shock, until my mouth curves into a smile.

"Thanks, Taylor."

She chuckles and replies, "Hey, what are friends for?"

I grin. "Alright! Meet you there?"

"You got it, Ren. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, you too. Bye, Taylor."

"Bye." We both hang up.

* * *

I shift my dark blue messenger bag as I walk down the sidewalk, the strap hanging onto my shoulder. I always walk to town, because it's not that far away. Also, I like walking, it gives me time to think. Speaking of which...I look down at my bag, which was hanging by my waist, and place both of my hands into it to get my notepad and a pen. I successfully pull them out, and I click the pen button. As I walk I stare at my notepad, tapping the pen against my chin. I'm going to have to pinpoint the logical reasons for Ezio's...withdrawal. I deadpan and sigh. What was it? Was it blackmail? Money problems? Personal issues? Betrayal?

"Ugh...What _is_ it?" I groan. I felt myself bump into someone's chest head-on, not very lightly either. I grunt as I fall onto my back on the concrete, my notepad and pen landing right next to me. "Ow..." I mutter as I grit my teeth and use my arms to push myself up, my eyes clenched close. "S-Sorry about that...Are you okay?" I hear a small laugh, coming from the voice of a male.

" 'Are you okay?' I should be asking you that question." I blink before looking up.

"Huh?" Standing before me is a man, perhaps in his 20s. He has a small smile on his face and his eyes are the same chocolate brown as his hair. There's a little stubble on his chin and there's a small scar that goes down the right side of his lips. His clothes are simple. A white jacket, dark blue denim jeans, and white shoes. His smile widens and he adds,

"I'm still standing, aren't I?" I smile in embarrassment and reply,

"Yeah, and I'm on the ground. Guess I'm gonna have to watch where I'm going." He bends down and holds out his right hand in front of me. I take it with mine and he pulls me up."Thanks...Again, I'm sorry about running into you." He shakes his head.

"Nah, you have nothing to be sorry about. No harm done. ...I'm Desmond, by the way. Desmond Miles." He holds out his hand again and I shake it with mine. I smile.

"Renia Emilios. Pleased to meet you." He nods.

"Likewise. Pretty interesting name, by the way." He smiles at his last sentence. I can feel my face grow warm as I blink. I give a sheepish grin.

"Ha ha. Thanks." I watch as Desmond notices something on the ground and he bends over to pick it up. I realize that it's my notepad and pen. He stares at them and he looks up at me with a playful smirk, dangling the notepad with two fingers.

"Working on your homework?" I chuckle and take my belongings from him.

"Not really. It's more of a..." I pause, then finish awkwardly, "personal research project." He arches an eyebrow.

"I've never heard of a kid actually researching for a project that's not school-related. What's the project? Just out of curiousity." I sigh.

"It's on one of my ancestors. The one I got my Italian blood from." He hums.

"Got a name?"

I nod and respond, "Ezio Auditore de Firenze."

He whistles. "Long name." He leans forward to look at my notepad. "Anyway, why are you researching him? Something happen?" I look down.

"Yeah. He was a nobleman, but then he uh...became an assassin..." Hearing no reply, I add, "There's not that much known about him, so nobody knows the reason why..." I blink after a minute of no response from Desmond. I finally look up, to see him staring at me with wide eyes. I raise a brow. "Desmond...?" I take a step toward him. "What's-" I hear my cell ring, cutting me off. I freeze, take out my phone, and answer before holding it to my ear. "Um, hello?"

"Ren, hey where are you?" I curse and reply,

"Oh my god, sorry Taylor! I..." I pause and glance at Desmond. "I-I got a bit sidetracked..." She clucks her tongue.

"Uh-huh. Just get your ass over here, okay?" I nod.

"I'll get there as soon as possible! Bye!" I hang up and turn to Desmond, who seems to have recovered somewhat from his unusual shock. I smile. "It was nice to meet you, Desmond, but I have to go. I forgot that my friend's waiting for me." He blinks, before he shakes his head and smiles back.

"Yeah, nice to meet you too, Renia." I hold up a hand.

"You can call me Ren." I turn around and begin to run, turning my head to glance back at Desmond. "Bye, Desmond!" He holds up his left arm and waves slightly with a grin.

"See ya later, Ren!" I smile before turning to face forward; I don't want to run into another person, but I'm glad I ran into Desmond. I think I've made a friend.

***

"Alright, so what made you 'sidetrack'?" Taylor asks as I sit down at the table in front of her. I set my bag in front of me, before registering what she has just asked.

I blink and look down shyly, muttering, "Um, nothing..." Oh no...I know what that smirk means, along with the gleam in her eyes. Taylor leans forward slyly, her left elbow on the table, supporting her weight. She raises an eyebrow.

"Ah, a guy, hm?" I immediately blush at her question and shake my head.

"N-No! Um..." My friend leans even farther, smirk widening.

"Ah ha! You reacted immediately! That means I'm right! Yes!" She punches her fists into the air, before she draws them back and excitedly gets into my face. "Well?! C'mon, tell me about him! How'd you meet?"

I sigh and reply, "It's really not that surprising about how I met him." She raises an eyebrow. I shyly mutter, "Er...I ran into him..." She begins to laugh. I feel my face burn, but I ignore it and continue, "He helped me up and we introduced ourselves, since we were having a friendly conversation." Taylor leans back and rests her elbow on the spot in front of her, her cheek resting in her hand. She grins.

"And~? What's his name?" I sigh again.

"Desmond Miles." She gives a small delighted squeal and, taking her fists, drives her face into them excitedly.

"Ohhh, this is perfect! Now you can just flirt with him and-" I cringe and lean back in shock, my eyes twitching.

"What?!" I exclaim. I immediately hear a response from an unknown voice behind me.

"Shush!" I feel something hard make contact on my head. I groan, lifting my hands to rub a small bump that has formed on my skull, before I look behind me to see the librarian standing there with disapproving eyes as she glares at me. After I mutter an apology, the librarian leaves, and I stick my tongue out in her direction as she walks away with her back to me. I frown and turn back to Taylor, who is attempting to stifle her giggles with her right hand. I give her a little glare and begin to explain my...word of protest.

"Alright, Taylor, listen...He's over 20 years old, probably 24 or older." I whisper. At this I see another sly gleam in her eyes and she holds up an index finger, with an impish smirk played on her lips.

"Ah, forbidden love~ Now I understand~" I can feel my whole world exploding and I let my head fall onto the table with a thunk.

"Ugh, I give up...Convincing you is just a waste of my breath." Taylor gives a little squeal and leans toward me.

"So you admit it?" she asks cheerfully.

I glare halfheartedly at my friend and whisper, "You're ridiculous..." She giggles and stands up.

"Alright, that aside...where do we start looking?" I sit up straight and look around.

"Um...Italian history would be a good start." I stand up as well and begin to walk to one of the library computers. As I'm walking I look back to Taylor. "C'mon. Maybe we can find something on the computers." She nods and begins to follow me.

I sit down in front of an unused computer and as I place my hands on the keyboard I sense Taylor leaning on the back of my chair. I begin to type in _1400s Italy_ in the search bar.

"1400s?" I hear my friend question.

I look back at her and reply, "All I know is that Ezio lived near the end of the 14th century." I turn back to the screen when the search results come back up. "So the 1400s is the best place to start," I finish. I scroll down the results and sigh. "Why is there nothing but DaVinci?"

Taylor sighs and answers, "Because he made many discoveries and famous artwork in the 1400s."

I gape at her and ask, "When did you start paying attention in art class?"

She glares at me. "When you first started your little ancestry obsession..." I sigh and turn back to the screen. "By the way, if you keep saying your ancestor was an assassin, wouldn't other people think you're one too?" I deadpan and look back at Taylor.

"Do I seriously look like an assassin?" She looks me up and down before she gives a simple shrug.

"Looks can deceive..."

I whine, "Taylor..." She ignores me, but she grunts when she's abruptly bumped into by a man in a black suit, who just sternly walks toward the exit without giving an apology.

Taylor fumes and turns to shout, "Hey! W-" I hastily slap my hand over her mouth to stifle her yells.

"Taylor..." I bite out as I attempt to stop my friend from breaking free of my grasp. "Let it go. If you shout, you'll get us kicked out. The man's not worth it anyways." She calms down and I release her before sitting back down at the computer.

"Geez, what a weirdo. Did you see the get-up he was wearing? Looked like he thought he was some secret agent." She smirks. "Probably went to tell his boss that you're an assassin," she guesses, obviously trying to get me scared. I scoff as I continue scanning the results.

"Taylor, please focus on the task at hand..." She chuckles before leaning on my chair again. I pause in scrolling down the results when a book title catches my eyes._ Italian Secret Societies of the 1400s_. I blink before I quickly grab my notebook and pen and begin to scribble down the book's location. I turn to Taylor and hold up the note. "This is where we should look." She blinks at the note and before she can speak, I am already walking over to the book's location.

"H-Hey, wait up!" she whispers. I know she's caught up and we both walk up the staircase to the second floor of the library. I stop at the top to take a look at my note before I look to the right and begin to walk in that direction. We head to the very corner and there are plenty of bookcases filled with many titles. I stop midway in an aisle before I scan the books for the one I'm looking for. "There are a lot of books we can look through here. They're all on Italy, but they're so dusty," Taylor comments. I nod and reply,

"I don't think the custodial staff for this area come here often. How cruel, mistreating these books that hold so much history and knowledge, even answers to-"

"Okay, Renia, enough with the historian lament. Let's find that book." We scan the shelves, and after a few minutes I spot it.

"Aha! Here it is!" I pull it from the shelf and turn to Taylor. I open the book and flip to the first page. Taylor walks over to my side to peer at it.

_ Dear reader,_

_ In this journal I have written, I tell of what secrets were held deep within the noble families of our great country, Italy. Whether or not you will believe it is not for me to decide. I write of the assassinations that have taken place, crimes, rivalries between families and how they were betrayed by their allies. My life might soon be ended for writing the secrets I have discovered in my journeys, but I shall endure my oncoming death. By reading my journal, you will learn these secrets, and I hope you treasure them forever, and use them to bring justice to our people._

"What the hell is this about?" Taylor asks me.

I blink before answering, "I don't know, but look at that." I point to the word 'assassinations.' "Maybe my ancestor was responsible for some of the assassinations of people in the 1400s. And this..." Next I point to the 3rd sentence, and I point to the words. "'Rivalries between families', 'betrayals...'Maybe Ezio became an assassin to avenge his family. It's the most logical solution, right?" I look to Taylor for an answer and she clucks her tongue.

"Well, there were many fights between families...." She looks at the bookshelves. "Maybe we should look for any books on the Auditores." She looks at me. "Of Firenze, right?" I nod. "Then your ancestor's family was a noble family that lived in Florence. Alright, let's start looking. You can leave that book on the floor there." I nod and place the book on the ground next to me. As Taylor goes down the aisle, I walk in the other direction, scanning books. Who knows how much we'll find.

* * *

We find several books and we bring them down to our table to read. As I sit in my chair, I am reading a dark-red book and I flip to a random page. I raise an eyebrow at the picture that is on the page. It was an A symbol of some sort, with...feathers attached to it? There are what seemed like jewels on the top of the symbol, where all the feathers meet. I set the book down and lean over it to get a closer look at the insignia before I ponder on what it stands for. _Hm...A...Afterlife? Assessment?_ I pale as I come to another solution. _Assassin..._

"That's it..." I whisper.

I look up to my friend, who is sitting opposite of me with a book in front of her as well.

"Hey, Taylor." She looks up to me and raises an eyebrow, signaling for me to continue. I shift my book toward her. "Take a look at this." She takes the book and sets it in front of us so we both can see the page. She and I lean forward to stare at it. Taylor blinks and points at it.

"Looks like an insignia for some organization..." She looks up at me with an arched eyebrow. "Why?"

I narrow my eyes and mutter, "Yeah, but look at it again. What letter does it look like?" I ask. She takes a quick glance and returns her gaze to me.

"An A...?" she answers in an obvious tone.

I nod and add, "Yes, an A...A stands for Assassin." She sighs.

"C'mon, Ren. It could mean anything. Like it could stand for "Able" from the Scarlet Letter."

I shake my head. "No, it must stand for assassin. I know it..." I mutter my last sentence half-heartedly, staring down at the letter. I scan the page, taking in every detail. Old, yellow parchment with brown smudges. Careful lines. ...Backwards writing? I blink and my eyes widen before I lightly slam my hand on the table, just before Taylor's head. She gives a little yelp and leans back as I move toward her. "Leonardo Da Vinci!" I whisper excitedly, my face smiling.

She raises an eyebrow and mutters, "Um, what about him?"

I point to the picture. "It's Leonardo Da Vinci's art! Look..." I move the book closer to her and point at the writing. "Backwards writing! That's his kind of writing, isn't it?" Taylor leans back in awe after examining the writing. She exhales and runs a hand through her red hair.

"I can't believe it..."

I nod and say, "Now we've got a good lead!" She arches an eyebrow and looks up to me.

"Ren, do you know what this means?" I blink, and I wait for her to finish. "Leonardo Da Vinci, _The_ Leonardo Da Vinci, was working for the assassins." I freeze and Taylor adds, "Your ancestor, Ezio, he might have known him. Heck, Da Vinci might have even invented things for him." I ponder on this before standing up.

"Well, now we have a good resource. Let's go look up some Da Vinci, and if you're right, we should try to find a journal or two of his." Taylor's eyes widen comically.

"Ren, all of Da Vinci's journals would be in the Vatican Archives, all the way in Italy! There's a rare chance we'll find one here." I shrug.

"I'll look someplace else later. Right now, let's just find a few Da Vinci books, take a few of these Italian History ones, check em all out, and be on our merry way. I'm getting tired." Taylor chuckles.

"After all that reading, I'm not surprised. I'm tired, too." She pales. "Don't tell me you're going to read all of that tonight!" I ignore her, and she continues. "C'mon, Ren! You'll tire yourself out with all that reading. And we have school tomorrow!"

I shrug and reply, "I'll manage." I turn around and look to Rebecca. "C'mon, let's go find some Da Vinci."

* * *

"I'm home!" I called out as I entered my home and closed the door behind me with my foot, since my hands are preoccupied.

"Renia! You got here just in time for dinner! How did it go?" I smile sheepishly.

"There was a lot of reading. But..." I struggle to hold up the pile of several books and I drop them on the dining room table, with them making a loud slam noise. Mom blanches at the stack of books.

"Dear, don't tell me you're going to read all of that in one night." I chuckle nervously before I shake my head.

"N-No. I think I've done enough reading today back at the library." I blink before smiling. "It was fun being with Taylor, though." My mom grins and asks,

"So how was your trip there? Anything happen?" I open my mouth before closing it, a light pink dusting my cheeks. I hold up both of my index fingers and I childishly poke their fingertips together.

"Um, it was...nice. Very nice," I mutter. Too bad my mom knows me oh so well. She arches an eyebrow.

"Alright, who did you run into?" I chuckle before answering timidly,

"A-A guy..." My mom's face brightens and she suddenly turns from suspicious to excited.

"Oh, a boy?!" She sits down in front of me. "Tell me more. Name? Likes? Dislikes? Do you have a crush?" I groan.

"Mom, my brain has died back at the library. Please don't pressure it with more questions!" Mom giggles and replies,

"Fine, fine...But I expect to hear about it sometime later." I sigh before walking up the staircase.

"I'm going to go do my homework!" I called.

"I'll call you when dinner's ready!" I nod as I continue my ascend up the staircase and I pause once I reach the top. I stare at the ground for a minute before I lift my head to look at the door to Dad's old study. I can feel my eyes soften before I walk to my room's door.

Mom never told me why he left. Everytime I talk of him, she changes the subject. _"Renia, sometimes it's better if you don't know some things...Let's just say that he left for a very good reason..."_ Mom's words echo in my mind._ 'A good reason...'_ Yeah, right. I see the pain on Mom's face. Everytime she comes up here, she would look at Dad's study, and sigh. I still remember the nights when I could hear Mom crying over a picture of him. I have a picture as well.

Thinking of the picture, I stuff my right hand into my right pocket. Upon finding nothing, I blink as a feeling of panic begins to overcome me.

"What the...?" I whisper. I stuff my left hand into my other pocket, and nothing is in there either. I resort to patting my pants for any object, only to find my cellphone. "Shit..." I curse silently before letting my head thud against my door, causing a little amount of pain to surge through my forehead. I groan_...I lost my wallet. Just great..._

* * *

Another Note: So, what do you guys think?


	2. Chapter 2

I sigh as I take a seat on the bus to Little Oaks High School. The first day of my freshman year at high school. After the 3-day weekend (thanks to Memorial Day), I'm ready to go back to agonizing school. Actually, school is something I look forward to everyday. I love to learn new things and all, it's just all the work. Not to brag or anything, but I'm a straight A student, so I'm in the honor roll. It's great, not having any adult bugging you about school work.

The bus's engine whirs, and the vehicle slowly begins to accelerate. I watch as houses, cars, and trees pass by. I feel my eyes begin to close, and I shake my head. I can't get much sleep lately, not with the entire Ezio and Dad mystery. I lean my head against the window. Why is my life like this?

I yelp when I feel something cold press against my neck, and I quickly lean forward. I hear laughter behind me and my eyes narrow before I turn see to a face I know too well. He grins at me, barely containing his laughter.

"How's it going, Ren?" he chuckles with a cold soda in his hand, tilting it back and forth. I sigh before giving a half-hearted smile. Daniel Reverend, another one of my only friends. I've been friends with him since childhood. He's actually first in my best friends list, even if he's a prankster. He's always at my side, like the time when I was old enough to understand the event of my dad leaving us. Anyway, Daniel's a bit popular in school, and his friendship with me is something his friends don't like, so we try our best to keep it subtle. He also knows about my ancestor mystery.

"Hey, Renia~" his voice sings mockingly. "Earth to Renia?" He leans forward and arches an eyebrow. "You've been thinking about that Ezio guy, haven't you?" I shake out of my thoughts and stutter,

"H-Huh? Uh..." He sighs and flicks my forehead with his right forefinger, causing me to flinch.

"Don't bother lying. I've already heard from Taylor. So, how was your trip to the library?" I can sense that he's upset that I didn't bother to ask him to come along. He's the kind of guy who's willing to do anything to help. I sigh and look down.

"Sorry, Daniel. Taylor called and I was so determined about solving the mystery..." I felt a pat on my head and look up. Daniel grins.

"You're turning into Nancy Drew," he states.

I blush out of embarrassment and rebut, "Am not!" He chuckles and draws back.

"Don't worry about it. I know how serious you are about this. I understand." He narrows his eyes menacingly. "But, all in all, you better call me next time." I giggle nervously.

"Ha...You got it." I turn around to face the front, shuddering slightly. Daniel can be scary sometimes...

About ten minutes later, our bus arrives in front of our school. The loudness of the other students onboard does not cease as they all disembark and approach the school's front doors, with Daniel and I slowly following them behind. As we step onto the sidewalk, I can't help but inhale the fresh air as a light current of wind blows through the area, carrying leaves upon its waves. I smile and turn to see Daniel smiling at me as well. I arch an eyebrow at him before I tilt my head curiously.

"What?" I ask, giving a little laugh in my question. He simply shrugs, still smiling, and dismisses my question with a wave of his hand.

"Nothing." I shrug before I begin to walk to the school, with Daniel at my side.

As I look around the familiar grounds, my friend decides to ask, "So, what have you found out about your ancestor?" I glance at him before looking down.

"Well...apparently, he knew Leonardo DaVinci." Daniel freezes at that, and he stares bewildered at me.

"Wait, you mean your ancestor-"

"Hey, Renia!" I pause at the familiar voice, and my eyes grow wide. I turn to the call of my name, my mouth slightly open.

"Des-" I am cut off as I feel an arm wrap around my stomach and I sense myself being swung around in a circle in mid-air. I squeal, half out of laughter and half out of shock. His voice laughs as I practically fly in a 360 before he slows down and gently places me back on safe ground. I look up and see the man I have just met yesterday, Desmond Miles. He grins.

"Looks like I found you," he states cheerfully. I give a little laugh before I muster a small smile, glad to see this man before me, but why was he here? My eyes widen at the question and I hastily look around to see dumbfounded students, including Daniel, all of them staring at us, some murmuring amongst themselves. I chuckle nervously before I grab Desmond's arm, who begins protesting and demanding the purpose of my action quite loudly.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he yelps.

I lean to Daniel and whisper, "I'll see you later in History class." He only nods, still staring at Desmond in shock. After Dan's response, I roughly drag Desmond with me as I begin to lead us behind the school.

"Hey! Ren, slow down, will ya?" As we reach the shadows of the back wall of the school, I release Desmond, only to abruptly turn on him with my hands lightly balled into fists.

"Desmond, why are you here?" I ask in a slightly whiny voice. He raises an eyebrow before a cocky smirk plays on his lips.

"What? You're not happy to see me?" I grit my teeth and shake my head, a dust of red on my cheeks.

"Of course-" I pause dumbfounded before I stubbornly stomp my foot. "Agh, that's not the point!" He just smiles. I glare before looking around cautiously. "I mean, think of what would happen if the faculty catches you here, and in a situation like this, no less." My voice is now in a harsh whisper. He shrugs with a little chuckle.

"Don't worry, they won't catch me." I wait for him to give me a reason why. "I'm too stealthy," he finishes. I sigh, giving up on convincing this man to think of the consequences of his presence here.

"Alright. But why are you here?" He blinks.

"Oh yeah..." He digs into his right jeans pocket and pulls out a possession of mine that was once lost to me. "I think you dropped this when you pummeled into me yesterday," he laughs at my shocked expression.

"My wallet!" I cheer as I take it from his hands. My smile widens as I stare at my wallet and I jump into Desmond's arms to hug him. "Thank you so much, Desmond! Without this, I wouldn't have been able to get past school security!" I nuzzle my face into his chest like a hyper child high on sugar. "Thank you so much!" I squeal once more. I hear him laugh and I feel an arm wrap around the small of my back. Then I feel a strong callused hand on my head and Desmond begins to rub my head soothingly, occasionally playing with a lock of my light brown hair.

"Hey, it's no problem," he chuckles. "I was lucky that your school I.D was in there. If it wasn't I would never have found you." I smile and he clears his throat. "So, you gonna keep hold ing on to me, or am I gonna have to pry you off?" he jokes. I blush and jump back, muttering a soft apology. He grins and asks, "Hey, you wanna hang out some time?"

I raise an eyebrow before I grin and reply, "Yeah, that would be great."

Desmond nods. "Alright, I'll call you." I raise an eyebrow in question.

"Wait, how will you call me?" He takes a step back and chuckles.

"I have my ways. Don't worry, you'll know when it's me." I remain silent, as well as skeptical, for a bit before giving in with a smile.

"Yeah, I'll be waiting." He grins before raising a hand to ruffle my hair, causing me to pout and his grin turns into a smile. Suddenly, a strong gust of wind blows throughout the school grounds, causing me to yelp and raise my arms to shield my eyes. I can hear the surprised cries from nearby students and the wind roaring in my ears, making me shudder in fear. After a few minutes, when the gale died down, I lower my arms, muttering, "W-wow, that was some wind..." I look up, and my eyes widen when I find no one before me, no Desmond. I look around curiously before raising an eyebrow. "I guess he wasn't kidding when he said he was stealthy..." I muse.

The bell rings and I freeze. "Shit, now I have only 5 minutes to get to class!" I yelp. I begin to run to the front of the school, not noticing the familiar smile that a hidden man was wearing as he watched me enter the school. It slowly turns into a frown.

"I hope I haven't gotten her in danger..." Desmond whispers.

I run through the halls of B wing second floor and I stop at room B225, thankful that the door is closed. Taking a deep breath and arranging my appearance so I wouldn't look like I rushed, I open the door and peek through. My history teacher, Mr. Anders, is facing the holographic board and he clicks on the word _Crusades Lesson_, which brings up a new holo-screen. The screen has a video playing with soldiers massacring villages of Arabic people.

"Today, class, we're going to go over the Crusades." Mr. Anders index finger lightly touches a glowing holo-square and another screen opens, only with scrolling words and numerous pictures. "In the Crusades, the goal was to take back the place where Jesus Christ was born, The Holy Land of Palestine, which was ruled by the Muslims." As he goes on with the lesson, I take the opportunity to sneak into the classroom. I quietly close the door and I bend down to hide behind the backs of other students as they watch Mr. Anders holo-board. My seat is in the left side of the room, next to one of the many windows. After several silent footsteps, I make it to my seat and I quietly sit down, pulling out my notebook from my bag. I place my bag under my desk and as I did, Daniel, who sits in front of me, turns in his seat to face me. He does not look happy. But why?

He abruptly takes my notebook and places it in front of him, before taking his pencil. He madly scribbles onto the paper and shoves it into my face.

Where were you?! And who the hell was that guy?! I frown and take the notebook, managing to snag his pencil in the process. I write my response and hold it up to Daniel.

His name's Desmond. I met him on the way to the library and apparently I lost my wallet when I bumped into him. He was just here to give it to me. I was talking to him outside of school. He's a friend. You have a problem with that?

Daniel furrows his eyebrows and takes back his pencil before turning around to face the front of the classroom. I guess he's done asking. I inwardly sigh before taking out my own pencil and begin taking notes.

"Now this time period is one of the most bloodiest times of all history. There were executions, murders, assassinations..." I freeze in taking my notes, my eyes wide. _Assassins_...That one word repeatedly rings in my mind, and my head begins to hurt. I drop my pencil and rub my temple, inwardly cursing at the annoying pain. I sense Daniel watching me, and I, still not liking his attitude, shake off the pain and close my eyes calmly, ignoring his gaze. I pick up my pencil and take more notes as Mr. Anders continues his lecturing. During my note taking, I lose focus, and Mr. Anders' voice fades away. I begin to draw the Assassin's insignia I discovered at the library. At first I sketch the upside-down V, merely scribbling within the lines for the color. I add the feathers to the tip of the V, and I draw the small gems that are embedded into the feathers. Next I work on the bottom of the upside-down V, erasing the tips and making them curve to the middle, with two jagged curves on their outside. Last, I draw the curved line beneath the upside-down V, with the point of it directly in line with the middle of the entire insignia. My eyes soften as I retrace the lines I have drawn. I can't help but wonder...what was my ancestor was like?

"Renia?" My head snaps up with wide eyes. I see Mr. Anders smiling at me from the front of the class. "As much as I like to have your mind wander aimlessly, please pay attention. After all, this is gonna be on a future test." I blush as the rest of my classmates snicker. I sink into my chair with an inward sigh. _Just how far will this ancestor thing take me?_

Today's Monday, so that means everyone goes to all of their classes and each class is about 45 minutes long. That's the best part about Monday. The bell rings and I stand up from my chair, picking up my bag in the process. I look to Daniel and sharply mutter,

"I'll see you at lunch." I turn and walk to the door. I probably shouldn't have said it that harsh, but he was mad at me over Desmond. Boys. I exit the classroom and enter the huge mob of students as they head for their classes, or talk to their friends and hang out in the very middle of the hall. I squeeze through two students and, escaping into a vacant area of the hall, I head for D wing, where my Art class resides. Art, one of my favorite classes.

Few minutes later, I arrive at one of the Art classrooms and just before my hand reaches the door to open it, I hear Taylor's voice.

"Renia!" I feel a grip on my right arm and I'm apparently being dragged away. "We need to talk, now!" I blink and look back at her, stuttering,

"H-Huh? Wait, what is it?!" I struggle to escape her grasp but it proves worthless. She pulls me near a row of lockers around the corner and places me in front of her. She takes a breath and narrows her eyes at me.

"You didn't tell me you were going out with an older guy!" I step back, bewildered.

"W-What?!" I notice that other students have heard her and I drag her elsewhere, stopping next to a water fountain. I whisper harshly. "Taylor, what on earth are you talking about?!" Said girl rolls her eyes.

"Don't take me for an idiot, Ren. I saw you." I pale.

"What..?" She sighs and takes out her cellphone before clicking a few buttons. Less than a minute later, she holds her phone in front of my face, and my mind explodes. She had taken a picture when I was hugging Desmond (in thanks) for finding my wallet. I blush as I see her face smirk at me. "H-How did you...Where were you...?" I never finish my questions, especially when she starts moving her phone from side to side in my face, taunting me. Her smirk widens.

"Well?" she drawls.

I blush and growl, "Look, I'm not in a relationship with Desmond. I-"

"Desmond? You mean that guy you met on the way to the library? Oh my God, you just met him and you're already going out!" Taylor smiles and pats me on the head, in what I can assume, congratulations. "Way to go, Ren!" I turn even more red and I swat her hand away.

"No, that's not the point!" I ground out between my gritted teeth. She crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow. I sigh and my shoulders sag. "As I was saying, I lost my wallet when I bumped into him, and he came by to give it to me. I was so happy that I hugged him." I don't miss Taylor's suggestive look. "-out of thanks," I add. She frowns before snapping her fingers.

"Dammit, just when I thought you actually had a hint of love for the opposite sex, or at least a crush..."

I deadpan before sighing, "Just give it up already, Rebecca. There's no way that I will have a relationship at this time."

Taylor blinks. "So, there's a way for you to fall in love, but not have a relationship?" I stare past her shoulder in thought before exhaling as I came to an answer.

"Yes...maybe." Taylor blinks before she shrugs and claps her right hand on one of my shoulders as she walked past me.

"Good enough. Come on, we don't want to be late for Art." My eyes follow Taylor as she walks down the hall before I simply shrug and trail behind her.

"Class, settle down! Today, we are going to paint!" Murmurs sound throughout the classroom as I raise an eyebrow and raise my hand.

"Ms. Esther. Is that it? Just paint?" The rest of my class mumbled in agreement with my question and Ms. Esther simply smiled before giving a nod.

"Yes, Renia." She turns to the rest of the class, addressing all of us. I lean forward, placing my left elbow on the table and using my left hand to hold up my chin. "You can paint whatever you want. What interests you, your hobbies, anything that symbolizes you or any of the things I listed. Now, canvases are over here." She places her hand on the stack of canvases beside her. "And you all know where the paints and paintbrushes are. Remember to draw out your painting first. You may begin!" Taylor, who sits next to me, stays put as the other students make way for the canvases, and I do the same.

Taylor leans in my direction to mutter, "Maybe you can draw Desmond for the project." I blink before my eyes widen and I stare at her incredulously. She winks with a suggestive smirk.

"Wh-What?" I exclaim silently. I lean toward my best friend, whispering harshly. "Taylor, c'mon! I told you, I don't like Desmond."

She shrugs. "Just giving out ideas." I shook my head with a sigh before standing up.

"C'mon. We better go get our canvases." She nods and follows me as we head for the front of the classroom.

After we got our canvases, we return to our seats with our pencils in one hand and the canvas in another. The canvas isn't that big, I notice. It's slightly larger than a regular sheet of printer paper. I gently place my canvas on the table before me and hold my pencil up as I tap the eraser against my chin in thought. _What can I draw? _I tap my chin a few more times before I finally place it on my canvas and it begins as if my hand has a mind of its own. I go in a daze as I began drawing straight lines and a few curves. My hand swerves from left to right and vice versa. Buildings. Windows. A large bridge. Rivers. Boats. People. My hand speeds up and my heart beats faster and faster as I draw. A voice calls my name. _Renia_. I ignore it as my hand began to draw clouds in the sky, above the buildings. _Renia_. The voice becomes louder, and it calls my names as if it's some sort of mantra. _Renia!_ _RENIA!_

"Renia!" A familiar hand grasps my right, stopping me from drawing anymore. I blink before I shook my head out of my strange trance. I look to the owner of the hand to find Taylor watching me with concerned eyes. "Renia, are you okay? You were scaring me." I blink again and open my mouth to ask why, but I was cut off by a voice behind me.

"Oh my! Renia, I never knew you had such talent! It's wonderful!" I turn to see Ms. Esther smiling at me with praise and I cock my head in confusion, trying my best to ignore the stares of other students.

"What?"

Taylor leans toward me. "She's talking about your drawing, Ren. Look." She gestures to the place on the table before me, and I blink before turning to my canvas, and my eyes widen as my breath gets caught in my throat. _What in the world...?_

On my canvas is a drawing of an Italian district of some sort, with a large river and the famous Rialto bridge. People in Italian Renaissance clothing are in the drawing as well, walking along the streets or on the bridge, talking to others and enjoying their time. The buildings look centuries old and have many windows. Boats are floating on the river and my eyes went up to find the sky with a few, clouds hovering in the sky, with a beautiful sunset to finish it all. I gape at the piece of art I have just created.

"D-Did I do this?" I stutter at my words, disbelief perfectly masking my voice. Taylor gives me a look while Ms. Esther leans over me.

"Well, of course, sweetie. Who else could have done this? I saw you from the front of the room, drawing as if your life depended on it." I look up at her and she smiles. "I'm so glad that you're so committed to your work, Renia. Please continue." She gives me a light pat on the head for encouragement before she walks back to her desk.

She reaches out of earshot and I turn to Taylor and lean to her, whispering, "Seriously, did I draw this?" I gesture to my canvas and Taylor nods.

"Well, yeah. Ms. Esther was too proud to say it, but I'll say it for her _and_ me; you were drawing like a madwoman! You looked as if you were possessed or something!" I lean back in shock my eyes wide and my mouth slightly open.

I turn to look at my canvas, muttering softly, "That can't be possible..." I blink once before shutting my mouth as I examine the drawing. "This is Venice, Italy." Taylor gapes at me and she leans over to take a closer look.

"Seriously?" she exclaims. I shush at her when some students look over at us in confusion before returning to their work.

I sigh with a roll of my eyes and mutter, "You're so loud." I look back at her in a stern manner. "And yes, seriously." She widens her eyes and looks at me.

"I don't get it. Are you sure you didn't intend to draw this?" I nod and point to a group of the people in the picture.

"Yeah. Look, these people are wearing Renaissance clothing. I've never drawn Renaissance clothing before in my entire life, much less the Rialto Bridge." Taylor knits her eyebrows quizzically.

"The Ria-wha?" I shake my head and hold up an index finger.

"The Rialto Bridge. Mom told me about it. It was built in 1181 A.D and it's the most famous bridge in Venice, crossing over the Grand Canal." Taylor nods in understanding and looks back at the canvas.

"Then...how did you draw this?" I simply shook my head.

"I don't know..." Taylor sighs.

"Maybe all that reading on Italian history got to your brain." I give her a doubtful look and she shrugs. "Hey, it's either that, or you've been thinking so much about Desmond that it completely fried your mind."

I wince at her suggestion and scold in a whisper, "Taylor! Enough already!" She chuckles before returning to her own canvas as I sigh and stare at mine the entire class period.

The bell rings at 10:50 a.m but everyone has already put away their supplies and artwork beforehand. Everyone stands up and grabs their bags, talking to each other or racing for the door.

Ms. Esther stands up from her desk and announces, "Alright, everyone! Don't worry if you haven't finished drawing out your painting! We'll be working on this project for two week! Hope you all have a good lunch!" I stand from my seat and grab my letterman's bag as I ponder about my canvas. _Well, if we have that long, I don't want to finish it too soon. I'm not sure about what happened back there, but I guess I'll have to go with it. _Taylor stands and grabs her backpack before strapping it onto her back and we both walk out the classroom. As we walk to the cafeteria we merely chat about homework and school, and I'm grateful that there is nothing involved with Italy being brought up. We reached the line in the cafeteria and we grabbed our trays as we waited for our turn to get our food. Taylor then brought up a different topic.

"So, how was it with Daniel first period?"

I seethe as I remember Daniel's behavior in history class and I huff, "He was a total jerk."

Taylor gasps in disbelief and exclaims softly, "What? Why, what happened?" I sigh as I reach to grab a milk carton and place it on my tray, Taylor doing the same.

"He was mad about...I don't know, I think it was Desmond. I have no idea why." Taylor stares, signaling for me to expand on what Daniel did. "We were passing notes in class and he was just, being very rude, demanding to know who Desmond was. I got mad at him and we left it at that." Taylor sighs and asks the cafeteria lady, Ms. Thomas, for a cheeseburger and fries while I ask for a turkey sandwich with lettuce, mayonnaise and mustard.

After we order, Taylor looks at me. "You do know that it doesn't feel good when you guys get in fights-for me, you, and him. It rarely happens, after all." I nod and eventually sigh as well.

"I know, but I just don't get it. Why did he get so mad?" Ms. Thomas hands us our food as Taylor shakes her head at me with a roll of my her eyes.

"God, you're so dense." I gawk at her as we both head for the salad and fruit counter.

"Wait, do you know why?" She smiles at me.

"Maybe," she drawls. I pout as I grab a red apple from the fruits tray while Taylor simply picks up a thing of red grapes. We walk out into the cafeteria, the noise becoming even louder as we near the chatting students among us.

"Taylor! C'mon, tell me!" I whine as we approach the usual table we sit at, which is in one of the corners of the cafeteria where there's hardly anyone there. Said girl shakes her head as she sits down, with me doing the same. She picks up her cheeseburger, holding it in front of her mouth.

"Nope. I shouldn't if you haven't even figured it out yet." I raise an eyebrow once I sit next to her as she takes a bite out of her food before remaining silent. I sigh as I open my milk carton.

"Fine. Don't tell me." I take a drink of the fresh milk before setting it down and picking for my sandwich.

"So what are you going to do with your drawing?" I cock an eyebrow as I look to her.

"Uh, paint it? Why?" She narrows her eyes.

"I meant what are you going to do when you start painting it..." I blink in realization and turn back to my sandwich to take a bite. After I chew and swallow, I look back to Taylor.

"I don't know...I have this feeling that there's something missing," I say as my mind drifts back to the drawing, imaging it. Taylor tilts her head.

"Really? Like what?" I sigh and open my mouth to reply, but I'm cut off.

"Yo," a familiar voice says from my left. We turn to see Daniel, looking down at us as he stands with his food in his lunch tray. I simply close my eyes and take another bite out of my sandwich before setting it down and taking a drink of my milk, staying silent the entire time. I hear Daniel sigh as he sits beside me, and I'm grateful that he leaves about a foot of space between me and him. "Look, I know you're mad at me..." he mutters. "I know I shouldn't have acted like that back there." This causes me to look at him with wide eyes. _Is he apologizing?_ Daniel looks up at me with soft eyes. "I guess I was just mad about the fact that you found another guy to be friends with. I was acting like a stupid selfish little kid," he utters bitterly. My eyes widen even more and I look to Taylor for some input on what's happening, but she just smiles warmly and gestures for me to look back to Dan. He sighs again before stating, "I'm sorry for my attitude back there. You have every right to be mad at me, and I don't want us to stay like this." With that, he grins weakly. "Forgive me, Ren?" I stifle a gasp and I look to Rebecca and Daniel. _This is so unlike him! What happened?_ I feel Taylor elbow me in the side and I grunt in slight pain before smiling at Daniel, who was watching me expectantly.

"I forgive you. I'm glad you came and apologized. I don't want us to stay mad at each other either." Daniel grins and moves closer to me, wrapping an arm around my neck to bring me closer with a chuckle.

"Yeah, you know you can't stay mad at me," he says teasingly. I sigh before smirking playfully as I lightly push him away.

"Oh? I could say the same about you."

He shrugs. "Hey, you're one of the best friends I have. What can I say?" My mind stops and I hear my heart beat steadily. _Best friends... _Taylor clears her throat.

"What am I, chopped liver?"

Daniel chuckles as he leans toward her. "Aw, Taylor. You know I wouldn't forget about you."

She scoffs. "Fat chance. What about the time you-" I drift out of their conversation as I watch my friends converse, laughing together. I unconsciously smile to myself. I never realize how much I care for these guys. They're my best friends. I'm glad I met them.

"Renia?" I shake out of my reverie with a blink, my smile disappearing, and I look to the one who called my name, Daniel. "You okay?" I blink again before the smile returns to my face and I shake my head.

"Yeah. I'm fine." They stare at me doubtfully, before shrugging and Taylor turns to Daniel with an excited expression.

"Oh, that's right! You should have seen what Renia did in art class!"

I shrink into my seat, blushing, as I whine, "Taylor!" My friends ignore me, as Daniel raises an eyebrow, glancing at me.

"Oh, really?" He turns to Taylor and smirks. "Why, what happened?" I sink lower in my seat, the blush now burning my cheeks.

Taylor grins even more and replied, "Well, we have this paint project going on in Art, and when we were drawing on our canvases, Renia just went crazy with the thing!" She becomes a bit louder with that last part of the sentence and I wince. "I mean, it was like she was possessed or something, her hand was moving so fast and her face was so...so...thoughtful and impassive!" I raise an eyebrow._ I didn't hear anything about my expression.._.

Daniel's eyebrows rise at this and and he leans toward me. "Seriously?" I nod as I sit up.

"Yeah. I wasn't even thinking. I was just spacing out and then it was if my hand had a mind of its own." I raise my right hand for emphasis, moving it left and right at the wrist. Dan watches my appendage before looking at me.

"Are you okay?" I nod and say,

"My hand's a bit sore, but I'm good." I lower my hand, taking another drink of my milk. I feel a buzz in my right pants pocket, and, warily glancing left and right, I take out my phone.

"A text?" Taylor asks. I nod and read the ID.

"Unknown."

Daniel scoffs dryly and says as he picks up his juice box, "It's probably a prank or something." I look at him before looking back down at my phone and clicking _Read Text_. I raise an eyebrow.

**Didn't fall down today, did you?**

My eyes widen and one question rings in my head. _Desmond?_


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"Well? What does it say?" Taylor leans to me to read it but I snap my phone closed before she gets the chance.

I close my eyes and pick up my sandwich, "Nothing. Just a prank."

I bite into my sandwich as Daniel arrogantly chines in, "Told you." I give him a playful glare as I chew on my food, and I finish my sandwich. I sigh and drink the rest of my milk before throwing the carton onto my plate. I stand up, picking up my bag and resting its strap on my shoulder, and my friends look up at me.

"Going somewhere," Taylor asks, as I pick up my plate and step out of the table seat.

"Yeah, outside. I need to think." They only watch as I walk away, disposing of my plate in the trash can and exiting through a nearby door that leads to the schools backyard.

I walk past other students eating their lunch, chatting just outside of the building, and I walk several yards to sit underneath the shadow of a tree, away from everyone. I set my bag down beside me before I lean back against the large plant, furiously taking out my phone and hitting _Reply_ to the text I received earlier. I began to type in,

Desmond? How on earth did you get my number?

I send the text message, and I lower my phone to look up at all of the students who were outside of the school building, and my eyes soften as I watch them talk happily with each other. After a minute or two, I hear a beep from my phone and I quickly flip it open to read the text message.

I have my ways :p

My right eyebrow twitches at how childish the text is and I type in quickly.

Are you stalking me?

I snap my phone closed and cross my arms, frowning at how mysterious Desmond is acting. I tense when I hear a beep, and I blink. _That was fast..._I open my phone, only to knit my eyebrows in confusion. _I didn't get a message? Then where was that beep from?_

"Hey, I'm _not_ a stalker." I freeze at the familiar voice, and I look left and right for its owner. "Up here." I gasp, eyes widening, and I look up to see Desmond crouching on one of the tree's branches, several feet above me, smirking with his phone in his right hand. His form is darkened by the shade of the tree's leaves and branches, with only small blotches of light shining on him, giving him a heavenly glow.

I shake my head out of my reverie and I stutter, "D-D-Desmond? Why are you here?" I glance around nervously, hoping no one would see him. Luckily the tree's loaded with leaves, making him invisible to anyone else from far away. Desmond shrugs, and stuffs his phone in his right jeans pocket.

"Just wanted to check on you, make sure you're okay." I narrow my eyes as I stare ahead; if I look up at him the entire time, someone would notice and come over to see what's in the tree.

"I'm not a kid, Desmond."

He chuckles. "Sure you are. I'm 10 years your senior." I pout; he has a point. I sigh and after a few minutes of silence, Desmond asks, "Something happen?"

I stay silent before I nod, muttering, "Yeah, something weird..." I hear him shift in the tree, causing a few leaves to flutter down, one of them landing on my head.

He chuckles as he sees it and says, "Sorry..." We're silent for a few moments, until he asks softly, "You want to talk about it?" I gently take the leaf in my right hand and hold it in front of my face to stare at it.

I sigh. "It happened in Art class...Our assignment is to paint anything, whether it's something that symbolizes you, or it's your interests. When we began to draw, I guess...my hand got carried away."

"What do you mean?" asks Desmond, his tone sounding confused.

I lower my gaze. "I just stopped thinking and then my hand began to draw something on its own. Taylor says I looked like I was possessed."

Desmond hums in thought before he asks, "What did it draw?" I'm silent for a bit, flicking the leaf off my finger, before I look up at the sky, and I can see Desmond crouching in the tree.

"It looked like the Rialto Bridge...." I mutter.

"The what bridge?"

I smile at his confusion and I look entirely at him, "Rialto. It's the most famous bridge in Venice, Italy."

"Oh...You think it has something to do with your ancestry?" I sigh and look down.

"I really don't know...It's been on my mind all day." I hear Desmond exhale and I look up to see him leaning back against the tree, with his arms folded behind his head.

"Well, don't let it bother you. I wouldn't." I nod in agreement, and I suddenly smile as I look up at him.

"You're right. Thanks." He smiles back, looking down at me.

"No problem, Ren." I chuckle and look back ahead, leaning back against the tree and sighing in relaxation.

"Don't you have work?" I ask suddenly. I can sense Desmond raising his eyebrows and pouting.

"Who are you, my mother?"

I chuckle, and glance up at him. "Desmond, answer my question."

He sighs and replies, "Yeah I do, just not during the day."

I raise an eyebrow and look up at him. "Really? What's your job?"

He sighs and looks down at me. "Promise you won't laugh?" I nod and he closes his eyes. "I work as a bartender at Jonny's Inn."

I raise both eyebrows and ask, "Really? That one bar downtown?" He nods and I say, "I hear that place is popular." Desmond gives an amused chuckle.

"You should see it when there's Sunday night football on the T.V. That's when it gets really 'popular.' "

I laugh and reply, "I'll bet!" Desmond turns to look down at me, smirking.

"You should stop by for a while. I'll make you one of my special margaritas."

I stutter, flabbergasted, "D-Desmond! I'm _15!_" He laughs as he leans back into the tree.

"I'm kidding, Ren, calm down. I would never give a minor alcohol." I sigh with a roll of my eyes before we both tune into a long silence, watching the sky as the wind blows softly past us. After a few minutes, I find myself staring at a ladybug that had crawled up onto my hand, and I watch as it flutters its wings.

I utter softly, "Maybe...this entire search for info on my ancestor really is just a waste of time." I hear Desmond shuffle in the tree again.

"What?" he asks in a soft surprised tone. I lift my hand slowly, being careful with the ladybug resting on it. It begins to patter across my knuckles, and I steadily extend my fingers, watching as the red bug travels across them.

"I mean, he was an assassin, right? What if I find out something terrible about him? Like how many people he killed? Or the names of his victims?...I don't think I would want to know that..." Desmond is silent, and I wonder if he's going to answer or not.

After a minute of silence, he asks, "But you still want to learn more about him, right?" I look up to see him gazing down at me with serious eyes.

I hesitate, before nodding with a meek, "Yes..." Desmond sighs and leans forward with his arms resting on his legs and his eyes closed, like a sage teaching a valuable lesson to his student.

"Look, the blood of an assassin is in _your_ blood. You can't help but wonder what he was like, especially since he's a noble-turned-assassin. If you want to know about him, then just go for it." My eyes soften at his words, and I slowly nod in understanding. The school bell suddenly rings from the building, and I slightly jump in surprise with a gasp, feeling the ladybug take off of the tip of my index finger and fly off in an unknown direction. I watch as it disappears in the distance, before standing up, picking up my bag and resting its strap on my shoulder in the process.

"That's the bell," I sigh disappointedly. I turn to look up at Desmond. "I'll see you later." He says nothing, eyes still closed, and I shrug before turning to walk back to the school.

"Renia." I stop with a blink, and I turn my head to look over my shoulder at Desmond, who's staring at me with those serious eyes again. but this time, his voice is serious as well.

"You can't change the fact that you're a descendant of an assassin. Nothing can and nothing will. It's something you'll have to live with, and I want you to remember that, okay?" I gaze at him with slightly wide eyes, before giving him a steady nod and a weak smile.

"Okay. I'll remember that." I turn back around and break into a slight jog, looking behind me, waving, despite people would wonder why I'm waving at a tree. "Bye, Desmond!" I see the tree's leaves rustle a bit, and I try not to laugh when a hand sticks out and waves back. Now, with my depressed mood gone and a bright grin on my face, I run to Little Oak's back entrance, ready for the last half of the day.

2:30 p.m

"Class, remember to finish the rough draft of your essay. It's due Wednesday," my English teacher, Ms. Liams, announces before the bell rings, signaling the end of the day. Everyone gets up from their seats and pick up their bags, before filing out of the classroom through the door. I inwardly sigh from my spot, still in my seat with my notebook open in front of me and my pencil in hand. I haven't gotten that far in writing the essay._ I still have four more paragraphs to write..._I muse disappointedly. Ms. Liams notices I'm still seated, and says, "Renia, that was the bell." I look up and nod hesitantly.

"Uh...yeah, I should go." I close my notebook and place it in my bag before putting my pencil in one of its pockets. I stand and strap my messenger bag to my shoulder before walking towards the door. "Bye, Ms. Liams," I say, looking back at her as I begin to walk through the doorway. She only waves from her desk, jotting down something on a piece of paper.

"I'll see you Wednesday, dear." I slowly walk out of the room and into the busy hall of passing students. I squeeze between a couple making out against the wall and a group of boys, before I silently walk to main hall. I saunter over to one of the single door exits in the building and open it, prior to walking outside. I close my eyes for a moment to bask in the warm sun, giving a sigh of relief as I tilt my head upward. Smiling, I open my eyes look down to see students filing into one of the school buses parked beside the sidewalk. I spot Daniel standing beside the bus, waving me over. I begin to jog over to him, waving back happily. I stop before him, smiling as I ask,

"So, how was Math?" I chuckle when he groans as we line up at the bus door.

"Terrible. Mr. Gregory was practically killing me with the errors he was making in the problems."

As ironic as it sounds, Daniel is a mathematician at heart. When in doubt while doing math homework, Taylor and I _always_ call him or ask him to tutor us. I just don't understand why he chooses to shrug off that talent and want to do other things. He has the talent but no drive. He's a great teacher, now that I think about it. I decide to note that to him as we ascend the steps of the bus and take our seats in the front, talking above the noise. I get a laugh as a response.

"Are you kidding me? There's no way I would teach adolescents for a living!"

I raise an eyebrow at him, replying dubiously, "_You're_ an adolescent."

He shrugs and admits, "I am, but I understand how immature and crazy we can be, so when I'm an adult, I wouldn't want to stay in a classroom of them." I chuckle at him, leaning back into my seat as the bus door closes up ahead and the driver begins to accelerate the vehicle.

"Right," I drawl sarcastically with a smile. "You're all grown up and you perfectly understand the world of the adult." I look at him. "Congratulations!"

He frowns and leans toward me. "Hey!" I make a small yelp when my head is suddenly locked in his arm, causing me to lean toward him as he laughs at my situation. "Not so smart now, are ya?" I begin to laugh with him, struggling to escape his grasp.

"Gah," I bite out. "Danny!" I use his nickname before I laugh some more. "You better let go or you'll be sorry." He moves with my thrashing, his grasp not loosening.

"Yeah? Well I-"

"Hey, Dan!" We both stop at the call of his name and he lets go when we spot a blonde boy standing beside our seats, with two other boys standing behind him. The blonde's right eyebrow's raised, looking between me and him._ He's probably confused to see Daniel with a loner_, I suggest to myself sadly. My friend smiles and turns to the boy.

"Oh. Yo, Andrew, Nick, Jon. What's up?" Andrew looks at Daniel and rests his arm on the top of our seats. Annoyingly leaning over me, may I add, since I'm on the outer seat.

"We were wondering if you wanted to hang out later today at the skate park at Hudson River." Daniel blinks before he grins.

"Yeah, sure." Andrew grins back before leaning over me more and I frown, resisting the urge to push the blonde off. _And not only does that annoy me..._I think bitterly, as I wrinkle my nose in disgust. Andrew _reeks_ of men cologne, as if he used an entire bar of it. He gives Daniel a playful punch on the shoulder.

"Great! We'll see ya there." Daniel laughs before the blonde leans back, and he walks to the back of the bus, with Nick and Jon following him. I give a loud exhale, since I've been holding my breath the entire time the blonde was leaning over me. I cross my arms, and stare at the back of the seat in front of Daniel and I. I sense Daniel watching me, and I refuse to make eye contact with him.

He leans toward me, muttering, "Sorry about that. He's really a nice guy, once you get to know him." I turn and give him an unsatisfied glare. He sighs and adds, "Look, I know that what he did was unacceptable, and-" I exhale exasperatedly, cutting him off, and I look forward again.

"Forget it, Dan. It wasn't your fault," I mutter. He stays silent and I can feel him watching me, before I feel the seat creak, indicating that he had leaned back. I notice that the bus had already reached the freeway, and we stay silent for a few minutes, watching as many cars, trees and buildings go by.

"...So, where did you go off to at lunch?" I curse inwardly at Dan's question. It didn't take much to figure out he doesn't like Desmond at all, and if he heard about me texting with Desmond...I opt to stay silent, before Daniel presses on, "Did it have something to do with that text?" I'm still quiet, and I hesitantly give him a slow nod. "Was it cyber-bullying?" I shake my head this time, and he groans in frustration. "Then what was it? C'mon, tell me." I look down, lowering my arms to rest them on my lap, silent for a minute.

"Fine." I glance up at him. "The text was from Desmond, so I went outside to text with him." I hold up my hands submissively. "There, now you know. Happy?" He seems shocked, which isn't that much of a surprise. He shakes his head, and starts gesturing wildly with his hands.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, _whoa_. Back up." He turns to me, eyes wide. "You're telling me that you left Taylor and I, to go outside and have some text conversation with a guy you just met, what, two days ago?!" _It wasn't **only** by text..._I think to myself, and I choose not to say it aloud. I shake out of my thoughts and nod, grateful that everyone else in the bus is occupied with their own conversations.

"Yes." He leans back in surprise, raising an eyebrow quizzically at the same time.

"Why?" I sigh and stretch my arms up into the air, murmuring,

"Because Taylor would have pestered me and blabber some nonsense about me and him being in a forbidden secret relationship if I told her. And..." I lower my arms after my yawn and look at my friend. "You would have gotten angry or disappointed." Daniel makes a sound of disbelief.

"No I wouldn't!"

I close my eyes, retorting, "Yes, you would. And to prove it, I still have that note conversation we had earlier today in history class." I pat my messenger bag for emphasis, and Daniel's defeated face gives me enough reason to think I have just won this argument.

He frowns before he huffs in frustration and crosses his arms, looking out the window. "I just don't trust that guy..." _Is that really the reason?_ I want to ask, flashing back to the conversation Rebecca and I had at lunch. My eyes soften as I watch him in the stillness between us, and I look down at my lap.

"...I understand." I utter softly. I sense Daniel turning his head to look at me, and I continue, "I know that you just want to protect me, like the best friend I know you are." I smile at this before I state further, "You may not trust him, Dan, but I do." I look up at him with my warm smile. "In time, I'm sure you will too." He blinks, before looking away from, only a bit swayed by my words. I push on, "You just need to give Desmond some time to prove that you can trust him. Even just a little." He keeps his gaze focused on the window, and I meekly ask, "Please?" Daniel's silent for quite a while, and I look down disappointedly, my hope of convincing him to think otherwise of Desmond shattered.

Suddenly, the bus slows to a stop, and Daniel voices bluntly, "Here's your stop." I blink and strain to look outside the window. I spot my home a few houses down the walkway the bus had parked beside.

I lean back, responding, "Yeah..." I stand up from my seat after letting some students from the back pass, picking up my bag during the action. I move to head down the passageway, but I stop to stare to Daniel, who's still looking out the window. "See you tomorrow." I follow the other disembarking students to the exit, and I step down the stairway. I'm the last student to get off the bus on this street, and all of the others already left to walk to their homes. Once my feet reach the cement of the sidewalk, I turn around and watch as the doors close with a hiss. I can see my own upset self staring back at me in the bus door's windows. I sigh and turn to walk to my house.

"Hey!" I turn at the shout, and I'm surprised to see Daniel with his window rolled down and the upper half of his body sticking out of it. His frustrated face has not faltered at all as he says with a sigh, "I'll think about it, okay?"

My sadness dissipates as I smile happily and I nod my head, replying with an excited tone in my voice, "Okay!" A small smile tugs at Daniel's lips and then an angered voice from within the bus shouts as it begins to move again.

"Hey! Keep heads, arms, and legs _inside_ the vehicle!"

He looks back inside the bus to shout back, "Yeah, sorry, Mr. Woodburn!" I laugh as the bus wheels past me, and I watch as it gets farther and farther down the road, with Daniel still outside his window, waving at me. I wave back, and gaze at him as he retreats back into the bus. I grin to myself, as I continue my walk down the sidewalk. _Maybe, just maybe, this will work!_ I think joyfully. _If Daniel gets used to Desmond and think he's not the guy he thinks he is, then we can all hang out!_ I blink when I realize something, and I groan in exasperation. _Now all I have to do is convince Taylor that Desmond and I are **not** in a relationship...That won't be easy._

After walking past four houses, I reach mine and turn to walk down the stone path in the front yard. As I reach the front door, I take out my copy of the house keys from my bag, and I insert them into the door's lock before twisting them to the right. After the click sound, I push the door open, walking inside and closing it behind me. I lock the door and turn around, immediately noticing that the phone, which is placed on a small table near the front door, has a voice message, indicated by its blinking red light. I walk over to the phone, pressing the voice mail button. There's a tone and the computerized voice is heard through speakerphone.

"You have one new message." I place my bag on the staircase as it continues, "First new message from today at 2:00 p.m." I walk over to the kitchen fridge, opening it and taking out a bottled soda as the message plays. It's my mother.

"Renia? Hopefully you found this," she mutters and I roll my eyes. "Listen dear, I'm not going to be home until late. Work has me booked up today, so I won't be home until around 8 or 9." I sigh to myself as I close the fridge door and open the soda, a little hiss sounding from the removal of the bottle cap.

Mom works for the town newspaper. In fact, she's known as Kelly from the Ask Kelly advice column. The worst thing is that when asked a question from her readers, if I'm somehow related to it, Mom will respond to the question with me as an example, whether it's about me in one of my embarrassing moments or about how I work in school. Anyone who reads Mom's archive will recognize my name and gush about whatever Mom had written about me.

I raise the soda to my mouth and take a drink, sighing in relief at the taste in my mouth. I stride over to the phone, listening as Mom goes on.

"So before I went to work, I made some spaghetti for you to have at dinnertime." I blink and look back at the fridge. "It's on the first shelf in the blue tupperware container." I look back to the phone as a voice is heard in the background and Mom says, "Got to go honey. I love you and don't let strangers in the house!" There's a click and the tone sounds again, indicating that the message is over.

The computerized woman's voice returns and says, "End of message. To delete this message, press-" She's cut off as I press the 7 button, deleting the message and the house is immediately silent. I stare at the phone before I saunter over to the staircase to pick up my bag, and ascend the stairs.

I open my bedroom door, leaving it open as I walk to my desk, which I cleaned and organized late last night, so it has enough room to work on. I drop my bag on my bed and open it, taking out my notes and history textbook. I set both items on my desk, before opening one of its drawers and taking out a pencil. I sit down on the desk chair, opening the textbook to read the pages I'm required to read for next History class, which is tomorrow morning.

_The Crusades were a series of nine Christian military expeditions that took place during the end of the eleventh century and throughout the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. The stated goal of the Crusades was to recover from the Muslims the Holy Land of Palestine, where Jesus Christ (c. 6 b.c.-a.d. 30) lived. The word crusade comes from the Latin word crux meaning "cross," and Crusaders were said to have "taken up the cross."_

_The Crusades began with an impassioned sermon given by Pope Urban II (c. 1035- 1099) at Clermont, France, in November 1095. Earlier that year Byzantine emperor Alexius I Comnenus (1048-1118) had appealed to Urban for aid in fighting back the fierce Seljuk Turks. (The Seljuk Turks preceded the Ottoman Turks; the Seljuks were named for their traditional founder, Seljuq). Seeing the expansion of the Turks, who were Muslim, as a threat to Christianity, the Pope agreed to help. Not only did Urban rally support for the Byzantines in staving off the further advances of the Turks, he also advocated that the Holy Lands should be recovered from them. While the Arab Muslims who had previously controlled the Holy Land had allowed Christians to visit there, the Turks tolerated no such thing. Urban feared that if Palestine were not recovered, Christians would lose access to their holy places altogether._

_But Urban also viewed-_

I stop reading when my cell begins to ring, and I reach into my right jeans pocket to pull it out_. Probably Taylor..._I ponder. I am wrong when I see the caller I.D, which says _Unknown Caller_.

I blink and ask out loud, "Desmond?" I hesitantly flip open my phone and press it my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey, Renia. Look outside your window."

I make a note to add this _'__Unknown Caller'_ to my contacts before I reply, "Desmond? I need to know. How did you get my number?" He replies with an urged tone.

"That question again? C'mon, Renia. Now look out your window, or I'll start using the 'throwing pebbles at the window' cliche."

I sigh and stand up to move over to my window, uttering, "Desmond, what are you talking abou-" I yelp, cutting off my sentence, when something suddenly hits my window as I stop to stand before it.

"Told you I would," Desmond remarks with a smug tone of voice as I gape at my window.

"What in the world?" I lower my phone as I open the window to peer into the front yard. I gawk when I spot Desmond Miles standing on the grass, smiling as he closes his phone, looking up at me. _What **is** this?_ I merely blink before I shake my head and lean forward to shout, stammering like an idiot, "You-How did you-Where did you-Agh!" I shout in frustration. "Stay right there, I'll be right down!" I make a stay gesture with my hand, as if Desmond's a dog.

Said man's smile widens as he replies, "Don't worry, I'm not moving." He holds out his arms jokingly and I roll my eyes before shutting my window. I run out of my room, into the hall, and carefully trot down the stairs sideways. I jump over the last few steps and land with a soft thud. I take a breath before walking over to the door, opening it, and walking outside. I close the door behind me and spot Desmond walking over to me from his place in the grass.

"That was quick," he comments with a smirk. My shoulders tense, and I angrily begin to poke him in the chest.

"You! First, you somehow get my _cellphone_ number!" I poke him at the word 'cellphone,' and he winces as I continue, "Next, you somehow obtain the address of where I _live_!" I poke him again, getting the same reaction as he backs up a bit. "What's next, my birthplace and date?" I stop my little poking assault and cross my arms. "It's either you're a stalker, or some CIA agent." He chuckles as he raises his hands defensively.

"Hey, hey, calm down." He sighs, lowering his hands as he looks down for a second before looking up at me with an earnest face. "Look, I know all of this is weird, and doesn't make sense, but you've got to trust me on this. I would _never_ use any of this information to harm you in any way." I lower my arms, my eyes losing their angered look as he continues, "I can't tell you how I got your number and address." I notice that he's clenching his fists; is it this hard for him? "I'm afraid that if I do, I would lose the _only_ friend I have." I fight back a gasp as he looks down with an inscrutable chuckle. "To be honest with you, Renia, I haven't talked to anyone as much as I have with you. So," he looks up at me with pleading eyes, "Can you trust me with the information I have?" I'm silent for a few minutes, and he asks again, "Can you, Renia?" I slowly nod with a smile, before I swiftly punch him in the shoulder, and he grunts, grasping his abused arm as I scolded,

"You could have asked me for my number!"

He hisses and replies in, dare I say it, a whiny voice, "I couldn't! It would have been weird, since we only met a few days ago." I raise an eyebrow.

"And just magically appearing with it isn't?" He smiles with a shrug before he stuffs his hands in his jean pockets.

"Okay, you win. I'm...an introvert, you could say." I blink. _Introvert? He's been the total opposite around me! _He chuckles, noticing my confusion as he places a hand on my head. "Doesn't make sense, huh? Let's just say that the day you bumped into you," he pauses, smirking, "I decided to take a leap of faith." I blink up at him, before I nod in understanding, and he stretches his arms. "Anyways, I came here to see if you wanted to go out."

I raise an eyebrow. "Where?"

He shrugs. "Don't know. I'll think about it after I get an answer." I think back to my homework and Mom. I could get the homework due tomorrow done later, and if I send Mom a text or something, she would know. I make my decision and begin to walk back to the front door, with Desmond watching me quizzically.

"The answer is yes. Wait here while I go get a few things." He nods before I enter the house, closing the door behind me. I walk up the stairs and to my room, picking up my copy of the house keys and wallet, just in case. I run back downstairs and open the door to see Desmond waiting at the sidewalk. I blink, before I close the door behind me and lock it. Desmond waves me over and as I jog to him, I notice he has something in his hands. Once I'm about 3 feet away from him, he suddenly tosses the object to me.

"Here. Safety first, right?" I clumsily catch the object, and I raise an eyebrow. _A helmet?_ I look up to him, to see he has a helmet in his arms as well. He gestures down the sidewalk, behind the wooden fence that separates our house from the neighbor's. "C'mon. My ride's over here." He walks in that direction, disappearing around the corner of the fence, and I hesitantly follow. As I turn the corner, I stop in my tracks and slowly say,

"Oh, no..." I shake my head as I continue, "No, no, no, no, _no_." Desmond chuckles and puts a hand on his hip.

"Oh, yes."

I step back. "_Ohh_ _no_. There's _no_ way I'm getting on that." There, parked on our street beside the sidewalk, is a red motorcycle. _He never told me that he drives a motorcycle! _I think in surprise. I watch as Desmond walks up to me.

"What? You scared or something?"

I shake my head. "No. I just-"

"Then come on!" I'm not given the chance to finish my sentence when Desmond walks behind me and begins to move me forward by pushing against my back, my feet skidding against the ground as I try to stop.

"Hey!" Once he gets me next to the vehicle, he stops and mounts it, looking at me expectantly. I hesitate at the look he gives me, and look around for any bystanders, before I sigh in defeat, muttering, "Alright, fine." He grins and gestures for me to get on the space behind him on the seat, and I swing my leg over the other side, before sitting down. I put on the helmet Desmond had given me, and everything is darkened due to the eyeshield.

Desmond looks back at me as he sits up straight to put his helmet on as well, instructing me as he does so, "Just hang on to me so you won't fall off." I deadpan as I lean to the side to look at him.

"That's _very_ reassuring," I reply sarcastically. He leans forward again, one hand grasping onto one handle while the other starts the ignition.

"You won't fall off," he says, as he turns his head sideways to glance back at me. "I'll make sure of it."

I stare at Desmond, before I nod, uttering as he leans forward to grab hold of the handles, "Okay, just make sure you don't go too-" The motorcycle suddenly revs to life as Desmond kicks up the brake and twists the right handle. I scream, instinctively grabbing onto Desmond's shoulders, as we speed down the street, "FAST!"


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As we stop at a red light in an intersection, I take a deep breath, trying to calm down my heart.

Desmond chuckles, asking, "You okay back there?" I narrow my eyes behind my eye shield of my helmet.

"Am I okay?" I exclaim, my voice muffled because of the helmet. "How fast were you going back there?!"

Desmond replies nonchalantly, "About 60 miles per hour."

I pause before I narrow my eyes, my tone dangerous. "Is that above the speed limit?" I can feel him tense in my grasp.

"Just 10 miles per hour higher..."

I frown. "You can get a ticket for that!" I scold in a harsh whisper, afraid that pedestrians on the crosswalk up ahead and on the sidewalks beside us would hear.

Desmond looks back at me with a meek response. "Sorry, it's a force of habit." My frown broadens as I tighten my grip on Desmond's shoulders. He flinches and leans forward a bit. "Ow! Hey!" He shakes off my hands and mumbles as he faces forward again, "Damn, what a death grip..." He sighs and utters, "Alright, it won't happen again." I nod with a smile, lowering my hands to my thighs.

"Thank you very much."

He shrugs. "Don't mention it..." I raise an eyebrow before I rest my forehead on Desmond's back, letting my muscles relax from the tense state they were in due to Desmond's driving. I feel Desmond moving his head to look left and right.

He mumbles, "Hey, don't look now, but it seems like we're getting a few stares." I freeze and use my peripherals to look to the sidewalk to our left._ 'A few' is **definitely** an understatement._

People sitting outside of the cafe on the corner of the left street are watching us, and I notice that one of them, a woman in her 60s, is staring at me with a look a disgust. Even citizens stopped in their walks to take a moment to watch us, some with a similar face as the old woman from the cafe. I lower my head and choose to look to the right. A few people in their cars beside us are looking at us as well. I look lower my eyes to stare down at my lap. _What's their problem? Can they tell that I'm younger than Desmond? _Said man's voice snaps me out of my thoughts.

"Just ignore them."

I stare at him in amazement, before I nod with an obediant, "Okay." The light turns green, and Desmond places his hands on the handlebar again.

He pauses, gesturing to the left. "Hey, you see that old bag over there?" I blink and look to where he gestured to, to find the old woman at the cafe. "Don't hit me or we'll crash, okay?" I unconsciously nod at his words, before they finally register in my mind as he revs the motorcycle forward, turning around the corner where the cafe is located. I instantly grab hold of Desmond, and I watch as his left hand lets go of the handlebar. He lifts that hand out to the side, the back of it facing the cafe and the old woman, and closes down every finger, except his middle. My mouth hangs open within my helmet, and I can imagine the haughty mischievous smirk on Desmond's face as the old lady gives an appalled and shocked face. I resist the urge to yell at him as we successfully round the corner, and by then Desmond has already lowered his hand to place it back on the handlebar.

I choose then to ask loudly, "What was that for?"

"Oh, c'mon, you saw the looks she was giving us. Pardon my french, but she was pissing me off." I blink, pondering for a moment, before I give a defeated sigh.

"Ugh, whatever...Have you decided on where to go yet?"

Desmond hums in thought before he suggests, "How about Central Park?" I arch an eyebrow at the suggestion before shrugging.

"Sure, I don't see why not."

He nods, and he yells, "You might wanna hang on!" I instinctively, yet unconsciously, wrap my arms around his stomach at a fast speed, completely aware of his driving skills. Strangely, instead of feeling the lurch of the motorcycle, I feel Desmond pause, but it's only for a few seconds. The lurch I'm waiting for finally occurs, and I tighten my hold as Desmond suddenly swerves the motorcycle into the left lane, and, in a slight daze, I watch as all of the cars, buildings, and signs whoosh past us. With so many things on my mind, I'm too tired to scold the tan brunette.

* * *

I glance around as Desmond disembarks his motorcycle, soon turning around to help me off as well, and he takes my hand in his to make sure I don't lose my balance as I swing my leg over to stand on both feet.

"Never been here before?" Desmond asks as he releases my hand. I shake my head, watching a couple of laughing kids run by, chasing each other.

"No, I haven't..." Desmond is silent for a moment before gestures with his hand to the dirt path, his smile welcoming and warm.

"C'mon. I wanna show you something." I blink at his hand, before my eyes travel up his arm to meet his brown ones. I meekly return the smile, before I walk past his arm and down the path, with Desmond casually striding besides me.

"So...will I be seeing you at my school more in the future?" I turn my head to look at him, and he only grins with a laugh, playfully locking my head in his left arm to pull me close.

"Maybe..." he drawls teasingly. I roll my eyes, leaving Desmond's arm around me as we continue walking.

"Want to play a game?" I ask suddenly. Desmond blinks and he arches an eyebrow.

"What game?"

"It's a fact game. I tell you something about myself, then vice versa," I explain.

Desmond pauses and he hesitantly says, "Okay, I'll play your game. You first."

I ponder a bit before casually uttering, "My favorite color is blue." I smile and look to Desmond, an expectant look on my face. He's silent for a bit until he looks at me/

"You're the only person who knows my real name." I blink and shake out of my friend's grasp, looking at him dubiously.

"Seriously?"

He nods with a proud grin. "Seriously." I open my mouth to ask something, but I feel a callused hand covering my mouth, silencing me. "Ah ah ah," Desmond tuts and I blush subtly out of embarrassment, shrinking back from behind his hand. "It's not a question game. Your turn." He removes his hand and my shoulders sag before I cross my arms.

"Okay. My dad left when I was a small toddler," I say calmly. Strangely, it doesn't hurt to say it. _Probably because I don't remember anything about him...there's nothing to remember him by except pictures and his old study._ I feel a hand on my shoulder and I turn my head to see Desmond staring at me with sympathetic eyes, and I smile meekly before gently removing his hand. "It's okay." I stretch my arms, straining out, "I don't remember him anyways. Your turn."

He crosses his arms, and smirks as he says, "Okay. I ran away from my parents when I was 16." I gawk and he simply shrugs as he adds, "Let's just say that they wanted me to live a life I don't exactly like." I blink, and I look down.

"I see..." I smile as I look up at the tree branches looming overhead, with the sun's rays shining through. "I've never been on a roller coaster before."

"Hm, remind me to take you on one." I blink and look to my companion, who wittily throws in, "And believe me when I say this, I _will_ try to force you to get on one."

He grins and I deadpan as I mutter, "Great...I'm looking forward to it. Anyways, it's your turn again." He sighs as he scratches the back of his neck, mumbling to himself as he searches for something to tell me.

"Um...my favorite color is gray." I open my mouth to reply, but I'm cut off when Desmond says, "Hey. we're almost there." He points to the top of a hill, where two trees are an equal distance away from each other, their branches reaching over and touching, making it look like a large doorway. I raise an eyebrow, and I yelp when Desmond gently grabs my wrist and slightly pulls me forward. "C'mon, let's go." I nod, and he begins to jog, with me having to run to stay at his side. _He's so fast!_ I almost gawk in amazement. I don't complain about his speed as we head for the top of the hill. Desmond releases my hand when we stop underneath the two trees, and I pause to catch my breath as Desmond grins. "This is the place I wanted to show you." I gasp, my eyes widening as my eyes rest on the amazing sight before me. Desmond holds out his arms, displaying the landscape as he says, "Renia, I give you the Central Park Reservoir."

There, surrounded by trees and greenery, with the towering buildings of New York rising behind the healthy evergreens, lies a large, blue body of water. The water's small delicate waves shimmer underneath the sun's rays, and I can make out a dozens of people sitting at the banks or lying in the grass. If the weather had been cloudy and dull today, like in winter, this sight wouldn't be as beautiful as it is now.

"Oh my God..." I whisper in awe, my hand unconsciously rising to cover my mouth, hovering a few inches away from my lips as I add, "It's absolutely breathtaking..." Desmond chuckles at his place beside me and he soon follows my gaze.

The brown-haired man says softly, "I come here everytime I have something on my mind, whether it's about my past or about my rent." He chuckles under his breath and looks at me. "I thought you'd like it. It may not be Venice or anything, but it's one of the most beautiful places here in New York." I slowly smile at Desmond's words and I turn to him.

"Thank you so much for taking me here. It means a lot to me." Desmond shrugs, stuffing his hands in his jeans pockets.

"You're welcome." He begins to walk down the hill, his eyes still looking back at me as he descends. "Let's go down to the banks. We can hang out there." I nod, following him down the hill, passing a few people here and there, until we reach the banks of the reservoir. We sit down and Desmond sighs in relief, immediately falling backwards to lie down on his back, with his hands folded behind his head. He smiles up at the sky, his eyes closed, and I smile at his form before I turn my gaze to the water of the reservoir. A sparrow takes flight from a nearby tree, chirping, and I watch as it soars above the tree line.

"...Desmond?" I hesitantly call in a mutter.

"Mm?" Desmond drones, telling me that I have his attention.

"...Do you think that the assassins from my ancestor's time...still exist today?" I don't receive a reply, and I sigh, shaking my hand to dismiss my question. "Um, forget it. It was a stupid question..." I hear shuffling from behind, and I see Desmond sitting beside me, staring out at the water.

"...You're that serious about your ancestry, huh?" I look down shamefully, giving a short and curt nod. "...Yeah, if I had to guess, they're still here today." He turns his head to face me and I feel his hand grasp my chin lightly, turning my head to face him, my eyes meeting his brown ones, as he continues slowly, "Only now, they're known to some as mercenaries or hit men." I remain silent, fighting down the blush rising to my cheeks as I watch Desmond stare at me with stern eyes. "Renia, I want you to be careful with this investigation case on your ancestor. Dig too deep and you might know too much. Eventually you'll become an assassination target, and the assassins will try to kill you. You understand that?"

I tense at his words, before softly replying with a nod, "Yeah..." Desmond lowers his hand, and I turn my head to face the reservoir, my voice thoughtful as I mumble softly, "I guess...I never thought about what would happen. I wouldn't have thought of the possibility of getting myself in danger." I smile weakly, my eyes shifting from the water of the reservoir to Desmond. "Thank you for telling me that. I'll try not to get killed." The tan man quirks an eyebrow, that signature smile of his on his face again.

"But you won't stop trying, huh?"

Surprisingly, I smirk at him, and I reply, "Of course not." Desmond leans back, his arms supporting him from behind as he huffs with a smirk.

"Then I guess I'm wasting my breath." I giggle at this, until I suddenly hear the sound of some type of music box playing from afar. Desmond hears it as well, and he turns his head to the dirt path on the top of the hill. I follow his gaze to see a light blue van with large lettering on its side.

"An ice cream truck," I utter, staring at the vehicle as the window on its side opens, to reveal a man waiting for customers. Desmond suddenly stands up, and bends over to lend me his right hand.

"Hey, why don't we go get some?" I blink, before stammering about money and the cost of the frozen foods, and Desmond cuts me off with a chuckle. "Don't worry, it's on me." I trail off, looking up at him.

"...Are you sure?" He nods, smiling warmly.

"Absolutely." I suddenly find myself staring up at this man, when a flash of white lines enter my vision, and Desmond's form alters with a blur. For a split second, his hoods is up, but it has a smooth point down the middle, and it's covering his upper face. He's wearing a brown glove of some sort on his right hand, and two shirt collars are extending out from behind his neck. _What the...?_

My thought trails of as Desmond's voice rings in my ears, calling out jokingly, "Renia? I'm right here, space cadet." I blink, shaking my head as Desmond returns to his normal form and clothing, and everything slowly becomes well focused again.

"H-huh?" Desmond gestures to his outstretched hand, which is still hovering before me. I stare at it, and my mind registers the situation. "Oh. Sorry about that." I place my hand in his and he grips it, before hoisting me up to my feet. "Something just crossed my mind, and I guess I got stuck on it." He shrugs, and points to the ice cream truck.

"Don't worry about it. We better hurry. A bunch of kids are already getting in line." I nod, and I follow him up the hill. He was right about kids getting line. About 5 or 6 kids are in line at the ice cream truck's window, with their parents watching them from the side. We get in line, and Desmond pulls out his wallet from his right jeans pocket, before looking at me.

"What do you want?" I lean to the side to look past the children in front of us to the poster on the truck. I lean back to shrug at Desmond.

"Vanilla's fine." He nods, and I watch as he digs through his wallet for a few dollars. "What about you? What are you going to get?" He looks at me, with some dollar bills clutched in his hand.

"Chocolate," he replies. I continue to watch him as he counts the bills in his hand, his brows knitted in concentration and his eyes slightly narrowed as he stares down at the currency in his hands. He eyes occasionally flashed up to the poster on the ice cream truck, most likely checking to see how much the ice cream costs. "Is there something on my face?" I blush, immediately turning my head to look the other way, my eyes wide in shock. _How did he know I was staring at him? He was so focused on the money-he didn't even look at me. He- _My train of thought stops as my eyes rest on a man sitting on one of the park benches. I quirk an eyebrow, wondering why this man looks so familiar, until my mind suddenly makes the connection. _That's...that's the guy from the library!_ My thoughts flash back to that moment in the library, when that man in the black suit rudely bumped into Rebecca, before leaving the building. _He's wearing the same suit, too,_ I note. The man is reading a newspaper, with one leg on top of the other.

"Renia?" I tense and turn my head back to Desmond, to see him pointing at the ice cream truck. "It's our turn." I follow his finger, to see the ice cream man waiting patiently for us at the window. I laugh nervously.

"Oh. Right." I ignore his questioning look as I we walk towards the window, and he hands the ice cream man the money.

"One vanilla and one chocolate ice cream cone please." It sounds like a mumble, but fortunately the ice cream man hears the order. I look at Desmond, my right eyebrow arched in curiousity, before I remember what Desmond told me back at my home.

_'I'm...an introvert, you could say...'_ I blink, before thinking to myself, _I guess he wasn't kidding when he said that..._

The man takes the dollar bills, before counting them and placing them in his cash register. He walks off to the right, disappearing from our view. After several minutes, the ice cream man returns to the window, with two ice cream cones in his hand.

"Here you go, sir."

Desmond gently takes the frozen foods from the man, muttering under his breath, "Thanks." Desmond hands me my vanilla ice cream, and as we turn to walk away, we hear the ice cream man utter,

"Have a great day." Desmond doesn't reply, so I opt to look back at the man with a grin.

"Don't worry, we will. You too!" The man simply waves and I face Desmond as he sits underneath one of the trees beside the path. He gestures to the spot next to him, and I take a seat beside him. We begin to ear our ice creams in silence, and as I lick at mine, I look at Desmond through the corners of my eyes. "You know, you could have asked me to order for our ice cream," I utter. Desmond pauses in eating his ice cream, his tongue stopping midway in taking a lick. I try not to laugh as he leans back, licking his lips to rid of the chocolate smears around his mouth.

"What makes you think that I didn't want to do it myself?" he asks challengingly, and I tap my chin with my index finger.

"Mm, how about the fact that you were talking as if saying one word would make the whole world fall apart?" Desmond's facial expression becomes annoyed and I laugh, until he leans toward me.

"What? I told you that I'm an introvert."

I smile at him. "I know. That was the first time I've seen it." He blinks, before he leans back, turning his attention back to his ice cream.

"Yeah, well, trust me. You'll be seeing it a lot more in the future." I shrug, my smile still on my face, as I continue eating my ice cream. I raise my head to stare up at the sky, watching as the large clouds float by slowly, their whiteness standing out in the blue. My mind flashes back to when I first met Desmond.

The image of when I bumped into him makes me smile wider, and I softly utter among the silence between us, "...You know what, Desmond?" He takes a few seconds to reply.

"What?" I hesitate slightly, mulling over the next thing I'm going to say, but I push down my hesitation. "...I'm glad I bumped into you that day." Desmond chuckles softly from beside me, and I look at him, to see that he's smiling at me as well.

"Me, too." My smile turns into a grin, and Desmond asks, "So, wanna tell me about your friends?"

I nod, and I start off with, "Well, there's Taylor, who's been my friend since 8th grade and she's very energetic..." I continue happily, while Desmond listens, watching me with a warm simper, and I almost blush with a shy grin as I suddenly think to myself, _He has a nice smile._


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

We had eaten our ice creams several minutes ago, and I'm just about to finish talking about my friends.

"They're great people." I smile at Desmond, and add, "I think you should meet them." Desmond chuckles and leans back against the tree.

"You sure? Because from the way you described your friend Taylor, I have the feeling that she'll think we're in some sort of a 'romantic' relationship." He uses his hands to make quotation marks at the word 'romantic' and I roll my eyes before facing the reservoir.

"That's true, but if we just act like the way we are right now, like friends, she'll _eventually_ stop thinking about it..." I don't hear a reply from Desmond, and I look at him. He seems focused and suspicious, his eyes narrowed as he stares over my head and down the path. I blink and turn around to see the man in black from before, only now he's up against one of the trees, watching us from several meters away. I shiver at the cold stare he's giving us, and I feel a hand on my shoulder. I turn around to see Desmond, his gaze still fixed on the man in black as he mutters,

"We gotta go." I blink, raising an eyebrow as Desmond gently grabs me by the arm and pulls me up to my feet.

"Huh? Why, what's-" He cuts me off, breaking his gaze, and his eyes meet my own.

"There's no time to explain. C'mon!" He pulls my arm slightly, and I hesitate, before nodding to him. We begin to run down the path, and I try my best to keep up with Desmond. I look back over my shoulder, and spot the man chasing after us, shouting something. I realize that he has a communication earpiece in his left ear. _Who is this guy?_ After a few more minutes of running down the path that leads back to Desmond's motorcycle, I'm already panting. Desmond doesn't even look tired, I notice, and I realize that I'm falling behind. A swift wave of panic rushes over me, as I begin to think of what would happen to me if the man behind us catches up. I look back over my shoulder again, to see that the man is indeed getting closer. My eyes widen in fear, and I make a weak strangled gasp as I try to run faster. As if Desmond had heard my small cry, he stops and turns around with no hesitation at all, before runs back towards me. I blink in confusion as he stops in front of me, and I shriek when he practically sweeps me up in his arms in a mere flash. With one arm holding me up from behind my back and the other behind the knee joints of my legs, he begins to run again at that amazing speed again. I involuntarily blush, and I'm glad that Desmond doesn't see it as he continues to run down the path. I look past Desmond's arm to watch the man in black, and I realize that he hasn't been getting any farther away. He's fast as well? I look up at Desmond, but his narrowed eyes are trained on the path ahead. I look at the man chasing us, and then back at Desmond. _What's going on? These two aren't even breaking a sweat!_

Soon, Desmond's motorcycle on the street up ahead. A sense of relief washes over me as I spot it, and it only takes Desmond several minutes to reach the vehicle. He quickly, yet gently, places me on the back part of the seat, before making sure I don't fall over and handing me my helmet. I put it on my head as soon as possible, and Desmond immediately takes a seat in front of me, putting on his helmet as well. As soon as he leans forward to start the motorcycle, the man chasing us is only about ten feet away from us. I freeze in shock once I see his arm outstretched to grab at _me_, and I instantly wrap my arms around Desmond's middle in fear.

"Stop!" the man shouts. Desmond promptly revs the motorcycle to life, and we speed down the street, the man missing my jacket sleeve just by an inch. I squeeze my eyes closed as I press my head into Desmond's back, although it seems impossible due to my helmet. So I opt to tighten my hold on him, just to let him know how scared I am right now. He briefly takes his right hand from the handlebar, and places it over mine, lightly squeezing it for reassurance. We don't say anything the entire drive to my house.

* * *

I take off my helmet as Desmond parks his motorcycle beside the sidewalk, a few locks of my light brown hair falling into my face as I do so. I brush them out of my face, before stepping off of the motorcycle, right as Desmond removes his helmet also, but he stays seated. He stares down at his helmet with a pained and frustrated expression on his face. My eyebrows knit together in worry, and I gently place a hand on his left shoulder.

"Desmond?" I call softly with much concern. My voice shakes him out of his thoughts as he closes his eyes, bringing up a hand to grab the bridge of his nose, his teeth slightly gritted as he hisses softly under his breath.

"Don't worry about me, I'm okay." He lowers his hand as he looks at me, and things turn around as now it's _his_ eyes that hold the concern and worry. "What about you? Are you alright?" I nod, but I shyly look down to the side, rubbing my right arm.

I then mutter, "Y-Yeah, I'm fine. Just a little shaken up, that's all..." I don't miss Desmond's nod, and we stay silent for a while, until I ask slowly, "Who was that man?" Desmond shakes his head, troubled.

"I don't know..." I watch him as he searches his mind for a solution, but he finds none, so I decide to say,

"Remember the day I bumped into you? And I was heading for the library?" He doesn't look up at me as he nods. I take a deep breath. "...He was there, that man." Desmond tenses at that, and he's silent as he disembarks his motorcycle. I watch in confusion as he steps up to me, and he bends over slightly to meet me at eye level. He takes hold of both of my shoulders, and I freeze at the serious look in his eyes, but I can see the care underneath them.

"What happened?" he asks slowly with a shuddering breath, as if he's afraid to question it. I blink, but I relax in his grasp.

"I was talking to Rebecca about finding books so I can find more about my ancestor," I began, "As I was talking to her, that man bumped came over and bumped into her, before leaving the library." Desmond goes silent again, and I add softly, "That's all..."

Suddenly he sighs, and he releases me as he mutters, "He must have heard that your ancestor was an assassin. That's the only explanation." I look down at this, my eyes softening.

"I'm sorry...I should have kept quiet about it, then this wouldn't have happened." I feel Desmond place a hand on my head.

"Don't worry about it." He laughs as he jokes, "I always enjoy a little chase." I keep my gaze at my feet, my eyes not brightening at all at Desmond's joke. "Hey..." He uses his hand to tilt my chin up, and he grins at me. "I don't want you to get all sad and disappointed because of what happened earlier. Who knows? That guy could've been after me." His grin widens at this, and I resist the urge to giggle. "So c'mon, smile. After I had such a great time today, I don't want to leave you with that kind of expression." His voice sounds so sincere and caring, and I try to fight down the warmth rising to my cheeks as I finally smile at my older friend. If possible, it seems his grin has gotten wider as he straightens up. "That's better." I laugh as I look up at him.

"Thank you, Desmond, for everything. I had a great time today, too." Desmond shrugs.

"No problem, kid." He glances to the right, and says with a nervous laugh, "I guess I should get out of here." I blink, before looking to the right as well, and I can imagine how wide my eyes are right now.

"T-Taylor?" There she is, standing against the gate of my house, her arms crossed and a knowing smile on her face. I stammer for a bit, before turning back to Desmond. "Um, y-yeah, I guess I'll see you later." He nods as he backs up towards his motorcycle, and sits on it. He places his helmet back on his head, and he revs the motorcycle to life, before looking at me. I can barely make out those dark brown eyes of his behind that eyeshield. He raises a hand in farewell.

"See ya, Renia." I nod, hesitantly raising my hand up to my chest to wave at him, knowing full well that Taylor is watching me anxiously.

"Yeah. Bye, Desmond." With that, he takes hold of the handlebar, and drives off down the street. I exhale in relief, before smiling at the spot Desmond used to be in.

"So, how much did I miss?" Taylor asks. "Because I _know_ that there's more than what I just saw." I roll my eyes to myself, my shoulders sagging as I sluggishly turn to face my friend. I gesture to my house with my right thumb, sighing.

"Come inside," I agonizingly direct her, "I'll tell you everything..." Taylor nods happily with a wide smile, before skipping up the driveway to my front door and opening it. I lower my hand, rolling my eyes once again before following her into my house.


	6. Chapter 6

Author's Note: Finally I updated!!!! :faints: gosh I was on writer's block and it was annoying! But Assassin's Creed 2 (awesome game!) got me writing again, plus the storyline and ending helped me with some story development. But now I'm angry with myself because now that I know the AC2 story I want to get to writing the sequel of FoaE, but I'm stuck on this one ^^; Anyways, hopefully I haven't disappointed anyone. And I want to know if people want to get to 1191 A.D soon at all. If so, tell me in the reviews! Hope everyone likes this.

* * *

Chapter 6

Taylor stares at me with wide eyes. We had decided to take a seat at the dining table in the dinner room, which is located just to the right of the front door. I had just finished telling her what happened today, and she blinks.

"Okay," she starts slowly, "let me get this straight. You," she points at me, then at the front door, "and that hot guy-"

"Desmond," I interrupt, but she continues nonetheless.

"Went to Central Park, by _motorcycle_, hung out and ate ice cream, before you guys got chased by some FBI agent?" She says the last part dubiously, and I nod before she adds, "The same agent guy who bumped into me at the library?" I nod again, and Taylor clicks her tongue before leaning back with her arms crossed and a smile on her face. "Yep, sounds like you both had a date." I perform a double take, nearly knocking off the glass of water I have before me, and I gawk at my friend.

"What?! It was _so_ not a date!"

"Of course it was," Taylor replies.

"How-"

She cuts me off with a question, "On the way there and back, how did you manage to stay on the motorcycle?" I blink, before leaning back.

"Uh, by holding onto Des..." I trail off at the look Taylor gives me, smirking impishly, and I immediately snap in disbelief, my cheeks turning red, "Oh my God, you're just digging all of this, aren't you?" Her smirk somehow turns into an innocent smile.

"Naturally." I groan and pick up my glass of water, bringing it up to my lips, my blush fading away.

"Even the fact that I could've been kidnapped?"

"He saved you, didn't he?" Taylor retorts wittily, and I wince as she gives a dreamy sigh and clutches her hands to her chest. "He swept you off of your feet and ran with you in his arms." She opens her eyes and looks at me with an excited grin. "He's like your knight in shining armor!" I blush at that and shake my head.

"We're just friends, Taylor. That's it."

"Sorry, but I don't think so." I roll my eyes as I lower my glass, before choosing to stare at the water inside of it. "Renia..." I tense at the softness in my friend's voice, and there's a moment of silence. "Do you like him?" I slowly blink, before taking a deep breath and calmly looking up into Taylor's expectant gaze.

"No." Taylor suddenly claps her hands together.

"Then that settles it! I'm going to get you and David together!" I sigh, before pausing with a confused blink.

"...Who?" Taylor gawks at me for a moment, and I quirk an eyebrow.

She leans towards me and says slowly, hoping I can make a connection, "David?" I wait for her to elaborate. "David Peterson?" Still no recognition on my part. "Cute, tall, blonde guy at school? The one who asked me at the mall if you like flowers?" I blink again, before it dawns on me.

"Oh...You mean that guy who helped me pick up my books after I was pushed in the beginning of the school year?"

Taylor nods excitedly, and I ask dubiously, "You think he...likes me?" There's another nod from my friend, and my eyes glance back and forth from the door and to Taylor as I struggle to come up with a reply. "...Didn't I tell you before? I'm not interested in him." She gapes at me, pausing in her move to pick up her glass of water.

"How can you-Why would you-" She cuts herself off a couple of times, before she shakes her head and looks at me dead on. "This is David we're talking about here! A total cutie, not to mention he's been really nice to you." I flash back to the multiple times David has helped me, whether it's when I dropped my books in the hall, or when I got stuck on a project in class. I sigh and look Taylor in the eyes.

"It's true that he's been nice to me, but I..." I trail off after that, and I groan in exasperation before burying my face in my hands. "I don't know..." There's silence for a few moments, before I slowly mutter, "This is why I don't spend my time thinking about this stuff. It frustrates me so much and I get so stressed out over it." I slightly part my fingers to peer up at Taylor. "It throws me off, Taylor, so I'd rather leave it be and focus on other things." Her eyes become sympathetic, softened, and he smiles disappears as she lays a hand on my shoulder.

"I understand." A soft silence passes between us, before Taylor looks down ashamedly. "Sorry that I keep pressing you about it." I smile from behind my hands and I shrug.

"Hey, you're the only girlfriend that I have. It's obvious that you would gush over these things around me." Taylor smiles softly.

"That's because it's so exciting, and you have no idea how proud I'd be if you fall in love or get a boyfriend." I chuckle as I lower my hands and pick up my glass again, raising it to my lips.

"Oh, I know," I say before taking a sip of my water. Taylor giggles at me, and she blinks for a moment.

"Ah, that's right. Amber called and she wants to know if we can all go hang out downtown at Wilson Plaza. Want to go?" I pause at this, lowering my glass as I think of a decision.

Amber is one of Taylor's friends. Unlike Taylor, Amber is more composed and sophisticated. She's a good friend, and she cares more about others than herself. To me, she's everything a girl wants to be. Kind, funny, empathetic, always knows what to say and do, everything. She also knows about my ancestry issue. At first Taylor urged me to tell Amber about it when I first befriended her, but instead I told her about it several months after. The same thing happened with telling her about my father. I'm still grateful that Taylor left me the choice of when to tell Amber both things.

I glance at the nearby clock._ It's almost four,_ I muse, before I face Taylor again.

"I don't see why not." I stand up, picking up my water in the process before chugging down the rest of it. As I turn to walk to the kitchen, I ask, "Taking the city bus, as usual?" As I walk up to the dishwasher to dispose my glass, I can hear Taylor walk up behind me.

"Yep." I step out of the way so she can put away her glass as well. "You gonna leave a note for your mom?" I blink at that, and I suddenly remember the text that I sent Mom before I left with Desmond. I take out my phone and flip it open, before noticing that Mom hadn't replied. I frown, and Taylor doesn't miss it.

"What's wrong?" I look at her, and my frown fades with a sigh on my part.

"I sent Mom a text to let her know that I was leaving to hang with a friend." At Taylor's confused expression, I elaborate, "Desmond." I turn my attention back to my phone, staring at it quizzically. "But she hasn't replied yet..." My eyebrows furrow in concern, and I feel Taylor place a hand on my shoulder.

"Don't worry. She's probably too busy to reply." As Taylor withdraws her hand, I nod, before placing my phone back in my pocket, deciding that Mom probably thinks I'm still out, so there's no point in sending her another text.

"You're right." I turn to her with a smile. "Ready to go?" She grins happily.

"Yep." We both walk to the front door, and I open the door for my friend, who walks out into the front yard with a thankful nod. I follow her and stop on the threshold to turn around in order to close the door. I lock it, before I stuff my house keys into my left pocket. As I turn around, I catch a glimpse of Taylor's redhead hair disappearing around the corner, and I can hear her laughing at me. I gape for a moment before running down the driveway.

"Hey! Taylor, wait up!" I turn the corner and find Taylor jogging down the sidewalk several feet ahead, looking back at me with a grin.

"Hurry up, slowpoke! I want to get on the next bus before it leaves!" She laughs again, and I can't help but smile as I try to catch up with my friend.

I exhale in exhaustion as I sit down at the bus stop's bench. The city bus stop closest to my house is a few blocks away, and by walking it takes about 20 minutes or so to get there. Taylor and I made it in 10. I lean back with my arms draped over the back of the bench, and I close my eyes.

"Did we-," I huff, "Did we make it in time?"

I can hear Taylor pant for a moment, before she replies cheerfully, "Yeah! Look!" I open my eyes as I hear a loud rumbling noise, most likely an engine. The sound gets closer, and I stand up to look down the street. Indeed, there's the city bus, driving with its loud engine roaring.

As it nears us, it begins to slow down, its tires screeching against the blacktop, and I resist the urge to cover my ears. The huge vehicle eventually stops in front of us, and there's a loud hiss as it lightly jolts back. The doors open, and we ascend the steps.

Taylor insists that she'll pay for our tickets, and I reluctantly let her do so before finding us seats. I quickly change my mind as I find the bus packed with passengers and no seats left for my friend and I. I stand in the middle, taking ahold of one of the assistance straps that are attached to the suspended poles above. As Taylor walks over to me, her face becomes bewildered upon finding the number of people inside the bus, and I grin sheepishly at her, implying that it can't be helped. She sighs while she stands next to me, also grasping one of the straps.

"This is what I hate about city buses," she grumbles, and I chuckle at her. The bus doors close, and the driver puts the vehicle back into drive, before slowly merging back into the street. As the bus continues on its way, I take a moment to look up at its destination sign. Luckily, it's heading to Wilson Plaza next.

"So, how did it go between you and Daniel after school?" I blink and look at Taylor, raising an eyebrow.

"Fine. Why?" The redhead shrugs.

"I don't want you guys to break apart. I'm just making sure you two didn't get in a fight again."

I frown slightly, muttering, "We didn't get in a fight." I blink, before lowering my gaze shyly. "...Although, I did ask him about Desmond." Taylor groans and lowers her head.

"Oh, that's not good. What'd he say?" I shrug at her.

"That he doesn't trust him. I asked him to give Desmond a chance to prove that he's trustworthy." I close my eyes with a tired sigh. "He didn't give me a straightaway answer until I got off the bus."

"What was his answer?" Taylor asks, and I smile.

"He said that he'd try." My friend scoffs at that, rolling her eyes.

"Yep, that sounds like Dan alright. Trying isn't enough."

My smile widens as I reply happily, "It's enough for me." Taylor smiles back, and she leans against me with an arched eyebrow.

"But, how did you guys end up talking about Desmond? Random change of topic?" I gulp, realizing that I'll have to tell Taylor about my text conversation with Desmond during lunch. If I don't, she'll bug me to no end.

I chuckle, my voice wavering nervously as I inquire, "You remember when I left during lunch today? After I got that text?" Taylor's eyebrow arches even more, and she nods slowly, her expression expectant. "Well, I kind of left to have a text conversation with the person who sent that text." I blush embarrassingly as Taylor leans towards me, and she smiles knowingly.

"It was Desmond, wasn't it?" I tense, before sighing in defeat.

"Yes...Sorry for ditching you back-" I'm cut off as the bus makes a right turn, and I yelp before I pull on the strap to keep myself from falling over. The turn ends, and as I recover, I notice that Taylor didn't move one inch at that turn, her smile still on her face. I raise an eyebrow, considering that my friend can actually focus when satisfied, but I shake off the thought.

"It's no problem," she chirps. "I'm not angry." I sigh in relief, before looking out the window, watching as many cars and buildings pass. "So," Taylor drawls. "What did you guys talk about?"

I roll my eyes, muttering, "I asked him how he got my number, then he got all childish before..." I trail off, opting to shut up and not tell Taylor about Desmond hanging outside of the school today. Unfortunately for me, Taylor can always tell when there's more to say.

She raises an eyebrow, asking suspiciously, "Before what?" I lower my gaze, and I try not to look at my friend.

"Nothing..." I hear her move closer to me.

"My ass, it's nothing. C'mon, Ren, what happened?" I shake my head, not saying one word, but Taylor presses, "Tell me, Renia."

I inwardly growl to myself, before my eyes soften and I mutter softly, "He was there."

Taylor doesn't hear me over the bus' engines and asks, "What?" I bite my bottom lip, not wanting to repeat that sentence. I bring a hand up to my forehead to I rub my temples as I sigh.

"He was there," I say, my voice clearer than before.

I can hear her gasp, before asking in shock, "Desmond was on the school grounds?"

I nod. "Yes, he was." I turn to her, taking her hands in mine. "Taylor, promise me you won't tell anyone. Only you and Dan can know." She raises an eyebrow at me, and I look down at the floor for a moment before looking back up at her. "I don't want to get Desmond in trouble," I utter nervously. She stares at me for a moment, one of her eyebrows still raised, before she shrugs and pulls her hands away from mine.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone." I still watch her, my gaze slightly worried and expectant, until my friend adds, "I promise." I sigh in relief, a grateful smile coming to my face.

"Thank you," I mutter softly, "You're a great friend, Taylor."

She chuckles. "Don't you remember what I said?" I blink at her and she grins. "What are friends for?" I flash back to when she told me that over the phone, just before we met up at the library, and I return the gesture before looking out the window again.

"So," my friend drawls, "What'll happen if your mom finds out about him?" I tense at that, my mouth twitching lightly.

"Hopefully," I began, "she won't find out at all."

"Oh, she will," Taylor replies, locking her hands behind her head. "That I'm sure of." I blink at my friend.

"How's that?" I ask, and she smirks, causing me to flinch, knowing full well about the way she thinks.

"Well, he knows where you live." I pale, chuckling nervously as she continues, "After all, I did see him at your house, and he does know your number..." Her eyes flash knowingly with a playful manner. "Am I right?"

"Hey, I don't know how Desmond got that information," I retort, trying my best not to ponder on the topic. It's a bothersome mystery, always poking at my mind, much like the thought of my ancestor, only I don't want to dwell on this one for long.

"That's what's weird, Ren. How did he get your number?" Taylor makes an inaudible gasp. "He's not a stalker, is he?"

I laugh, but I quickly stifle it after the confused glances from the other passengers. "No, he's not. He's a bartender, why would he-" I cut short, my eyes widening, and I cover my mouth with my hand. I watch as Taylor's expression turns into one of shock and curiousity. _Maybe I shouldn't have said that..._Bartenders don't exactly have good reputations most people.

"A bartender, huh?" she asks, and I reluctantly nod. She giggles, and pats me on the shoulder. "Maybe he'll ask you out for a drink sometime." I don't say anything at first, only nodding unconsciously nodding, before my mind registers what my friend had just said, and I perform a double take.

"T-Taylor," I sputter, "Stop that!" I playfully push her on the shoulder, which she giggles at and points at my face.

"Sorry, but you're just so cute when you're embarrassed," she replies teasingly, that familiar smirk tugging at her lips.

"Uh huh," I drawl sarcastically, rolling my eyes at my friend's antics.

The bus suddenly begins to slow down, and I glance out the window, catching a glimpse of Wilson Plaza up ahead.

Without moving my gaze, I say to Taylor, "Here's our stop." As the bus pulls over and parks beside the Wilson Plaza sidewalk, I release my hold on the assistance strap and begin to move to the exit. The bus door opens and I squeeze past several people, muttering "excuse me," and "sorry," every now and then, trying to reach the exit before the bus driver decides to drive off.

We finally get off the bus, taking in all of the shoppers and stores. As other people board the bus, we walk over to one of the bus stop benches, and Taylor places her hands on her hips, glancing around.

"Alright, Amber said she'd meet us here, so where is that girl?" I glance around as well, and spot a familiar black-haired girl standing against a building wall. I blink and turn to Taylor.

"There she is," I tell her, pointing at the girl. I jog over to said girl, waving with a warm smile. "Hey, Amber!"

The black haired girl looks up with surprised blue eyes, but that surprise disappears as she recognizes me. She smiles as I approach her.

"Renia, it's great to see you," she says, and I laugh softly before we embrace in a light hug.

"It's great to see you, too," I reply, and we pull back from each other.

"It's been a while since we've last seen each other," she notes pointedly. I muster an apologetic smile.

"Sorry, I-" I'm cut off when Taylor suddenly tackles me from behind with a hug, laughing as I give a shocked yelp.

"That's because she's been investigating on her ancestor," the redhead explains, rolling her eyes. Amber laughs before she and Taylor hug as well.

"Nothing's changed, huh?" she asks before they withdraw from each other, and Taylor smirks as she crosses her arms.

"Actually," she drawls, "Renia's been seeing this _older guy_." I don't react as I usually would to this, having already expected that the redhead would tell Amber about Desmond. The black-haired girl blinks and raises an eyebrow.

"Really?" She turns her gaze to me. "How'd this happen? And I thought you said you weren't planning on having a relationship," she says, and I shrug.

"There is _no_," I give Taylor a pointed look, "relationship." I return my gaze to Amber. "His name's Desmond," I begin slowly, "I bumped into him on the way to the library. He was kind, and we introduced ourselves." I lean back against the wall, subconsciously grasping my left shoulder. "Turns out I dropped my wallet when we bumped into each other, and when I got to school the next day..." I smile at Amber. "There he was, waiting for me. He was there to give me my wallet."

"That was sweet of him," Amber states, and I nod with a grin.

"It was, and he's a really nice guy." My smile fades as I flash back to that chase in Central Park, and I look down, my eyes softening. "Although, Desmond's kind of...I don't know, mysterious." I slightly tighten my grip on my arm as I say those words, and I can feel my friends' eyes on me.

"...How's that, Renia?" I hear Amber ask, and I'm silent for a moment, before Taylor decides to answer.

"He...somehow got ahold of her cellphone number and address."

"What?" Amber asks slowly, completely surprised, from what I can hear. "Renia, if he has your number and address, should you really be-" I cut her off, my voice sharp with slight anger.

"Desmond's not like that." I look up at the black haired girl, and I immediately give her an apologetic look, which she accepts with an understanding nod. "When I pressed him about it, he became very..._guilty_." My expression turns into a pained one as I remember that look on Desmond's face. "He told me he wouldn't use that info to hurt me. And he admitted that he got it, but he said he can't risk telling me how..."

"Why?" Taylor asks, since I didn't give her any details about the conversation Desmond and I had. "Why can't he risk it?" I take a deep breath, and the force of that one sentence Desmond had said to me in my front yard, hit me again.

_"I'm afraid that if I do, I would lose the only friend I have."_

"He doesn't want to lose me," I mutter softly under my breath. "He can't tell me because he's afraid of losing me, his only friend."

"Now I know what you mean by 'mysterious,' " Amber states. "Does this mean that he might've gotten you in danger?" I look at her, opening my mouth to reply, but Taylor steps up to me.

"What about when you both got chased?" she asks. "Do you think that had something to do with it?"

"Chased?" Amber echoes, shocked. I look at her, sighing.

"Earlier today, Desmond asked me if I wanted to hang out with him. I said yes, and he took me to Central Park. We talked over some ice cream, and when we were done he suddenly said we had to leave. There was a man in a black suit there, and I've seen him before at the library. All of a sudden, he started...chasing us."

"That must have been terrifying, Renia," Amber says, her eyebrows creasing with concern. "But, why would he chase after the both of you?"

"We don't know," Taylor answers, "But I bet you that Desmond knows." She gives me an expectant look, and I roll my eyes before I push myself off the wall.

"I'm not going to ask him about it," I mutter. I look up at my friends. "I trust him, and that's all that matters." They're silent for a minute or two, watching me as I turn to stare at the plaza's stores.

Amber breaks the silence when she sighs, "Whatever you say, Ren." She walks up to me and places a hand on my shoulder. "And don't worry," she adds, "I won't tell anyone." She knows that I would have pleaded her to not talk to others about Desmond.

"Thank you, Amber," I say with a small grin. We both feel Taylor wrap her arms around our necks, positioning herself between us, beaming.

"Well, enough of this!" She looks at me, then Amber. "Let's go do some shopping!" I laugh as we begin to walk into the plaza, with Taylor still clinging on to Amber and I.

"Are you going to buy anything, Renia?" Amber asks me, and I look at her.

"I don't think so." I pause, before adding hesitantly, "Maybe some book on Italy."

"There she goes again," Taylor announces with a roll of the eyes. I chuckle nervously as I pull away from her and continue walking with my friends.

"Then would you rather have me go back home?" I ask wittily, crossing my arms over my chest. "After all," I add, "I have homework to finish." Taylor immediately shakes her head.

"No way," she replies, "We haven't done this in a while, Ren." I laugh as I stuff my hands in my jean pockets.

"I know, and I'm sorry about that," I say with a sad smile. "It's mostly my fault that we haven't been hanging out much, being so obsessed with my ancestor and all."

"Hey, don't worry about it." Taylor pats me on the shoulder, and Amber peers over her shoulder to smile at me.

"She's right. You shouldn't beat yourself up about it. Besides, we forgave you a long time ago. No need to keep apologizing." I blink at the both of them, before I grin and bring them into a group hug.

"You guys are the best," I utter softly. Taylor laughs as she pulls away from Amber and I.

"Yeah well, we friends got to be there for each other, right?" I give a small laugh before I glance around at the display windows.

"Yeah, that's right," I mutter, smiling. I stop in my tracks when my eyes land on an item on display in a clothing store.

My friends stop beside me, and Taylor asks, "What, see something you want?" I smile as I begin to walk over to the store.

"Yep." I look back at my friends, waving a hand dismissively with a kind smile. "You guys go ahead. I'll catch up after I buy this." Amber and Taylor glance at each other, before they nod, and continue walking. I turn back around and stare at the product, before I happily walk into the store, asking the nearest employee for the item's sizes.

5:00 p.m

"See you tomorrow, Renia!" I laugh as I enter my house, before turning around and waving my hand.

"Yeah. Later, Taylor!" Taylor, with one hand holding a few shopping bags, waves back, before she turns and begins to jog down the sidewalk, disappearing behind the fence. I smile to myself, before I close the front door. Taylor had bought quite a lot of stuff at the plaza, while Amber only bought half as much as her. Me, I only bought one thing. I smile as I remember what I had purchased. I take my shopping bag and rest it on the small table, just beside the phone. I pull out what I bought at the plaza, and my smile widens.

In my hands is a light grey hoodie, soft and made out of cotton. I unzip the zipper, before I place my arms in the sleeves, and tug on the rest of the hooded jacket. I pull down at the bottom, before I fasten the zipper. I observe myself in the living room mirror. It's a bit loose, but it fits my form somewhat perfectly. I chuckle to myself, thinking back to the man who wears a jacket quite like this. Perhaps I bought this because it reminds me of him. I blink, shaking my head at that thought, a warmth rising to my cheeks. _Alright, Renia, enough of that. You have homework to finish_. My stomach growls all of a sudden, and I add, "Plus you have dinner to eat."


	7. Chapter 7

FINALLY UPDATED PEOPLE YEAH!! *pumps fist* Sadly there's no Desmond in this, but hey he's mentioned in it xD AND AN IMPORTANT NOTE FOR YOU ALL: I changed Rebecca's name to Taylor, since there already is a character named Rebecca in the Assassin's Creed universe. You have to remember that so you won't be confused ^^ And holy crap over 2000 hits! That's...amazing. Last time I checked it was about 1000. Now I feel bad for making you all wait....but I love you all 8D thank you so much for the reviews and faves and views! Here's a bit of backstory on Renia, because ACmegafan suggested I write some backstory, and it's a great idea so thank you ACmegafan! There's going to be some more backstory next chapter too. Anyways, hope you enjoy this chapter and reviews are very much appreciated! =)

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Chapter 7

The next morning...

_Thank God I was able to get my homework done last nigh_t, I find myself thinking as I descend the stairway, clad in a pair of jeans and a dark red blouse. I reach the bottom, running a hand through my hair as a tired yawn escapes my lips. I walk into the kitchen, eyes lighting up when I spot my mother at the kitchen table.

"Morning, Mom," I call to her happily, and she turns in her seat to look at me. "How are you?" She blinks, lowering her coffee and placing it on the table. She casually rests an arm on the back of her chair, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Fine," she replies slowly, watching as I walk to one of the kitchen cabinets. I open the cabinet and pull out a box of cereal, before closing it. I approach another cabinet, opening the door and pulling out a bowl, then closing it. As I set down the bowl and cereal box on the counter, I hear Mom ask, "What are you so happy about?" I look at her as I walk to the refrigerator, and I blink.

"What do you mean?" I open the fridge, grab the jug of milk, and close the door. I place the milk on the kitchen counter, and unfold the cardboard flaps of the cereal box. The bag's already open, so I promptly tilt the box in my hand, allowing the cereal to flow out and land in the bowl. Once there is enough, I tilt the box bag, and close it.

"You know what I mean," she states as I open the jug of milk. "Is it because your birthday is this weekend?" I freeze, causing a splurge of milk to leave the jug at the sudden jolt of my arm.

_That's right,_ I find myself thinking as I curse under my breath and move to grab a paper towel. _My birthday's on June 3rd...and the 1st is this Friday._ I wet the paper towel underneath the kitchen sink's faucet, and swab the puddle of milk, glancing at my mom. "I almost forgot," I admit, awed that I had forgotten my birthday.

Mom stares at me. "It's probably because you've been so focused on your ancestor." She picks up her coffee. "Renia, I think you need to take a break." I laugh, throwing the wet paper towel into the trash.

"No, I'm fine. Really." Carefully this time, I pour the milk into the bowl. After a moment, I'm convinced that there's enough milk, and tighten the cap onto the jug. I move a hand to rub my right eye, before I give s subtle yawn. I won't admit it but...I'm actually getting kind of exhausted. In my spare time, I read through the books that Taylor and I checked out from the library. Well, spare time included sleep time. I stayed up last night, and the night before, reading through over half of the books we checked out. So far, no mentions of an Ezio Auditore.

Sure there were assassinations and attempted murders, like the Pazzi's attack on the Medici, but there's no mention of Ezio Auditore being involved with them. _Although_, I think, pulling out the silverware drawer. _There are mysterious deaths and murders, with no idea about the cause or who the killer was..._I grab a spoon out of the drawer, before closing it and turning to my cereal bowl. _And there's also that one book,_ I add to my thoughts, flashing back to the library when I was flipping through _Italian Secret Societies of the 1400s_. I still have yet to read it, and I just know that it'll give me some good info. Hopefully.

"Renia? Renia, did you hear me?" I shake out of my thoughts when I hear Mom call my name, and I look at her.

"Huh?" Mom shakes her head and points out the window.

"The bus is here," she replies, and my eyes widen. _Shit, when did I get up?_ I turn to the kitchen clock, realizing that I had gotten up late.

"Crap, I have to go!" Without a second thought, I run to ascend the staircase, my mind racing. Upon reaching the second floor, I sprint into my room to grab my messenger bag, stumbling over a few books on the floor. I run back out into the hall, trying to descend the stairs as fast as possible without tripping.

"What about your breakfast?" Mom asks loudly as I stop and bend over to slip on my shoes, which I had left at the front door. nearly falling off balance as I stand on one foot. After clumsily putting on my shoes, I stand up straight, moving to open the front door.

"Not enough time!" I reply, opening the door and stepping out, ignoring Mom's protests, saying that I should at least take an energy bar. "Bye, Mom!" I rush outside, shut the door behind me, and run to the bus, waving a hand to prevent Mr. Woodburn from driving off without me.

"Woke up late?" Mr. Woodburn asks as he opens the bus door, and I stand on the sidewalk, nodding embarrassingly.

"Yeah...Sorry, Mr. Woodburn." He dismisses my apology with a shake of the head, and I quickly step up the stairs, before turning to glance down the aisle of seats. I spot Daniel, waving me over with his right hand. I walk over to him and take a seat, sighing in relief.

"I'm never waking up late again," I mutter, and Dan laughs at me. I slide down a bit in my seat, sighing again and closing my eyes.

"What happened?" my friend asks, raising an eyebrow. "You stay up late?" I shrug, staring at the the back of the seat before me.

"Yeah, an all-nighter of reading," I reply, rubbing my eyes and ignoring Daniel's shocked face. I look at him, smiling weakly. "Don't worry." I sit up, grunting lightly as I straighten my back. "If I can starve until lunch, I'll be fine." This causes Daniel's mouth to drop open, and I raise an eyebrow.

"You pulled an all-nighter, and you missed breakfast?" He whistles, impressed. "Damn..." I laugh, giving his shoulder a light punch.

"It's not that amazing..." I sigh again as the bus begins to drive after all students have boarded. "I just hope I'll be able to live until lunch." A granola bar is suddenly hovering in front of my face. My eyes widen and I instinctively back away from the bar. I turn to the one offering it, Daniel, and my mouth opens slightly in shock. He only smiles, and I stutter in disbelief, "D-Danny, I can't. It's yours."

"Don't give me that. If my best friend's starving, I give her the food I have." He shoves the granola bar into my hands, insisting, as he adds, "Now take it." I stare at him, then at the granola, before I hesitantly begin to unwrap it.

"Thanks, Daniel," I say, grinning at him gratefully, and he just shakes his head, the smile still on his face as I begin eating the bar of granola, savoring the honey taste on my lips. After a few minutes, the bus halts at another stop to pick up more students, and Daniel turns from the window to look at me.

"So how did your shopping go yesterday?" he asks, and I blink. I move to reply, but I pause, deciding to chew the rest of the food that's still in my mouth first. After I swallow, I tilt my head to the side, smiling as I remember the events of yesterday.

"It went pretty well," I reply after a moment, glancing at my friend. "I didn't buy much, but it felt good to hang out with everyone again." I look down at the granola bar in my hands, a warm smile played on my lips.

"How's Amber?" I hear Daniel ask. "I haven't seen her in a while."

I grin, replying, "She's doing great. She's already looking for a college." Daniel's eyes widen.

"Already? Wow..." he trails off, rubbing the back of his neck. "She must really want to get out into the real world."

I laugh, saying, "It's not that surprising, you know." I glance at the blonde-haired boy, adding, "Amber's always been ambitious."

"You got that right," he mumbles, and I chuckle, staring ahead at the bus' front window. My smile doesn't last long though.

Daniel...I noticed that he's been spending more time with his friends instead of Taylor and I. Sure he's been around these past few days, but back in middle school, it was only us three, hanging out after school. Now, he's popular, and practically knows everyone at Little Oaks. It makes me think back to when I first met him, when he was there for me...

_I was on the kindergarten playground, at age 6, sitting on the swings, when I was suddenly approached by a group of boys my age, their leader a fierce redhead. He frowned at me, and had his arms were crossed over his chest._

_"Get off!" he told me, and I winced at the tone of his voice, but I shook my head. I was there first. The boy's nostrils flared, and he roughly pushed me, but I held onto the chains, my eyes shut in fear. "You can't be here anyways," he added, "You don't have a daddy!" My eyes snapped open, and I bit my lip, tears threatening to brim my eyes. Without warning, I was pushed again, with more force this time, and I fell backwards, landing on the dirt ground. The back of my head throbbed in pain, and my elbows scraped against the ground, causing them to bleed._

_They laughed. They laughed and laughed, pointing at me and saying mean things, while I just sat there, staring at them with wide eyes as I caressed my head. It wasn't until after they left did I let the tears run down my cheeks. Holding my head down, I cried, my body shaking helplessly. I was the typical toddler, sitting there and crying with a runny nose, but it wasn't because of the injuries. It was because of the things they said. I was the only child in kindergarten without a dad. I was an outcast due to that fact. I don't belong here. I don't-_

_I felt a hand on my back, and I flinched, looking up at the hand's owner. It was a black-haired boy, about my age, and he knelt beside me. I stared at him, tears still cascading down my cheeks, my nose sniffling. The boy was staring at me, his mouth set in a determined frown._

_"Are you okay?" he asked, concern laced in his voice, and I sniffled once more, too shocked to reply. The boy patted my back lightly, trying to comfort me, and he said, "Don't listen to those guys. They're just a bunch of bullies!" I nodded meekly at the boy's outburst, and he nodded back. We sat there for a few moments, my sobs slowly ebbing away._

_"T-Thank you," I mumbled, my voice slightly hoarse from all of the crying. The boy grinned at me, and slowly removed his hand from my back._

_"It's okay," he replied, his grin turning into a small smile. I watched him curiously, and he tilted his head at me."My name's Daniel!" he introduced happily. "What's yours?"_

_I sniffled. "R-Renia..." I stuttered shyly, and Daniel blinked, before laughing._

_"You have a weird name," he commented, and I frowned slightly._

_"It is not weird," I rebutted, crossing my arms and pouting like the little six-year old I was. But crossing my arms had caused me to brush against the scrapes on my elbows, and I yelped, "Ow!" I immediately unfolded my arms, and Daniel stood up._

_"You better see the nurse," he told me, and grabbed my hand. He pulled me up to my feet, and I stared with wide eyes as the black-haired boy led me to the nurse's office. Daniel smiled back at me, and uttered, "Don't worry! Next time that happens, I'll be there to protect you!" My mouth dropped open in shock somewhat, before I slowly returned the smile. I was happy, happy that I found a friend, someone who will look out for me and defend me from harm. We stayed close since then, but now..._

"What do you think, Renia?" Daniel's voice pulls me out of my reverie, and I blink, looking at him with confused eyes.

"Huh?" Daniel raises an eyebrow, before he smiles.

"I said we should all hang out sometime this week. You, me, Taylor, and Amber. What do you think?" I blink again, before smiling.

"I'd like that," I reply, "I'd like that very much." Daniel nods, and looks out the window, watching the passing buildings thoughtfully.

"You should invite that Desmond guy to go with us," he mutters, and my eyes widen. He turns to look at me. "What? You asked me to give him a chance, so I'm giving him one." I stare at Daniel, who continues to look at me with an impartial expression. After a moment, I grin widely, and move forward to hug my friend. Daniel freezes, but I pay no attention to it.

"Thank you so much, Daniel," I utter softly, and Daniel hesitantly returns the hug, if only for a moment. I move back, smiling. "I'm sure you and Desmond will become good friends." Daniel mumbles an incoherent reply as I face forward, but I'm too happy to even ask what he said.

After a few more minutes and some stops, the bus finally arrives at the school. Daniel and I disembark the yellow vehicle with the other students, talking about plans for when and where we'll all hang out together, and we spot Taylor standing by the bus stop. She waves to us as we walk over to her.

"You guys sure look happy!" she comments, and Daniel and I look to each other, smiling.

"We were just talking about us all hanging out together this week," I explain to Taylor, who whoops in joy, pumping a fist in the air.

"Sounds like fun!" she replies, and crosses her arms, grinning. "We haven't hung out in a while, at least not all of us together." I laugh and point to Daniel.

"You should thank Danny here," I add, and I sense him staring at me with wide eyes. "He came up with the idea." Taylor gives a small chuckle, giving Daniel a playful punch in the process.

"It's a great idea you know," she says, and I nod in agreement. Daniel smirks and opens his mouth to say something, but he's cut short by the sound of the school bell.

"Hey, Daniel!" a voice shouts, and I turn to see no other than Andrew approaching us.

"Hi, Andrew," Daniel greets, and I resist the urge to roll my eyes.

"What's up?" the blonde asks as he reaches us, raising a fist. Daniel pounds his own fist against Andrew's, grinning.

"Not much, talking with a few friends of mine here," Danny replies, gesturing to Taylor and I. Andrew looks at us, and raise an eyebrow, his smile disappearing for a few seconds, before appearing again. He stuffs his hands in his pockets.

"Hey, name's Andrew," he introduces himself. _Yeah, I know,_ I reply inwardly in irritation, but I give a weak smile, and shift my messenger bag.

"Nice to meet you," I reply slowly, "I'm Renia, and this is Taylor." I gesture to said girl, who simply nods. Andrew returns the nod, before he looks to Daniel.

"Hey, what do you say about hanging out after school today?" he asks, and I feel a sort of disappointment within my heart. Like I said, Danny doesn't hang out with us like he used to. The black-haired boy looks at me, before he smiles and returns his attention to Andrew.

"Sorry not this time, Andrew," he says cooly, and I watch him in surprise. "I got some studying to do with Taylor and Renia." Andrew blinks, before he shrugs, and turns to leave.

"Suit yourself, man. See ya." The blonde gives his farewell, before running over to a group of boys not too far away, who were watching us with dubious eyes. I inwardly sigh in relief, before nearly jumping out of my skin at Taylor's semi-shout.

"Did you actually just do that?" she asks loudly, and Daniel nods, arching an eyebrow.

"Yeah," he responds slowly. "Something wrong?" I cut Taylor off, knowing she'd say something not welcome.

"No," I rebut, shaking my head. "It's just...you always hang out with those guys, don't you?" Danny laughs, and ruffles my hair with his left hand.

"Yeah, but it can't hurt to hang out with my best friends instead, right?" I move his hand away from my head, and smile. Daniel returns it, before he looks at the school.

"We better go. We don't want you late for history class again," he says teasingly, and I narrow my eyes, punching him lightly on the shoulder. I turn to Taylor, who seems to be watching us happily.

"Hey, I'll see you later, okay?" I tell her, and she nods.

"Sure thing!" She turns around to run to the school, waving at us. "Later!" Daniel and I wave back at her, before we rush to the school's other entrance.

"I hope we get there on time! I can't stand being late twice!" I yell to Daniel, who merely laughs in reply.

"Don't worry!" he replies, and I look at his grinning face. "This time, we'll both be late." I smile. It's like we're becoming friends all over again.


	8. An Explanation

Hello, everyone. I'm here to give you all yet _another _(sad, I know) update on this story.

First of all, I'd like to thank all of those who've stayed with this fic ever since it was published, not to mention I owe you guys a _big_ apology. Seriously, you people had to deal with my stupid, ridiculous update pattern, and had to wait so long for new chapters ^ ^; So thank you so, so much for that, and I'm terribly sorry!

Alright, here's the news. Now...

**THIS IS NOT DEAD. NONE OF MY STORIES ARE, IN FACT.**

See, I've been going through the phase. Yes, I speak of _that_ phase, the one in which inspiration is _so_ hard to come by... Unfortunately, this phase struck my mind over the summer, and while I've been slowly working on the next chapter, I simply couldn't be excited, or at least satisfied with what I was writing.

I assure you, all of the reviews and faves/story alerts are very, _very_ well appreciated. That, and there's school...damn school. I am thankful for its efforts to make me smarter and strengthen my goals for future careers, but must it take up so much of my free time? *sigh* I really hope you all understand this.

As for the next chapter...let's just say that I'm researching for it. One reviewer brought it to my attention on where this series was going, a direction which I definitely wasn't aiming for, and I would like to thank her for telling me this in her reviews. They were really helpful, _CanecaDePapel,_ thank you very much :) Your critique is highly appreciated (and I would've thanked you in a message, but you don't have an account).

Basically, I'm focusing on history's role in this story. I've got to say, research is hard when you're writing...

But anyway, that's pretty much the news for this story. I'll be working on _Fable of an Eagle_, as well as my other fanfics, but be warned, I have _no idea_ when they'll be updated.

Now that I've explained myself, hopefully you guys won't kill me ^ ^; I feel much safer now! xD

Again, thank you all so much! I'm truly sorry!

Love you guys :)


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